zone defense

noun

: a system of defense (as in basketball or football) in which each player guards an assigned area rather than a specified opponent

Examples of zone defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Already good against man in coverage, the second-year receiver had improved both his understanding of how to find the holes in zone defenses and his route running. Jeff Fedotin, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 With the Heat needing to turn to zone defense when Love entered the game during that series, the Celtics turned to their elite three-point shooting to force the Heat out of its zone and Love back to the bench. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 July 2024 At times, the Liberty switched to a zone defense which led to Vandersloot dealing with bigger opponents down low. Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 30 June 2024 Brondello’s squad was up, 15-12, after the first period, ending the quarter in a zone defense. Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for zone defense 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zone defense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zone defense was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near zone defense

Cite this Entry

“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on zone defense

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