on defense
idiom
sports
: on the part of a team that defends the goal
She began the season on defense, but her coach later put her on offense.
Examples of on defense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Along with her electric bat, the shortstop helped turn two double plays on defense to support freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Terry, who gave up four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in six innings.
—
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
Brown, a third-round draft pick and the first of the 49ers in 2023, played sparingly on defense until strong safety Talanoa Hufanga sustained a torn ACL against Tampa Bay in Week 11.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on defense 
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
Brown, a third-round draft pick and the first of the 49ers in 2023, played sparingly on defense until strong safety Talanoa Hufanga sustained a torn ACL against Tampa Bay in Week 11.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on defense
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on defense
Cite this Entry
“On defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20defense. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share