1
as in defendable
capable of being defended against physical attack
the pioneers retreated to a defensible hillside to take a stand against the raiders
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2
as in justifiable
capable of being defended with good reasoning against verbal attack
there's simply no defensible reason for dropping out of school
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Recent Examples of defensible
Acuña says that Cal Fire provides tips for home- and landowners looking to fire-proof their property through landscaping and creating defensible space.
—
Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
For residents of Los Angeles County, at least, there is a legal mandate to maintain defensible space — the area around a structure that must meet certain brush clearance and firescape specifications — of only 200 feet.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Jan. 2025
Fire-resistant architecture and defensible open space around homes is credited with saving some homes from the devastation of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Starting in the highest-risk areas, existing structures must be retrofitted to add fire-resistant features and create surrounding defensible space.
—Tom Corringham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensible
Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
For residents of Los Angeles County, at least, there is a legal mandate to maintain defensible space — the area around a structure that must meet certain brush clearance and firescape specifications — of only 200 feet.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Jan. 2025
Fire-resistant architecture and defensible open space around homes is credited with saving some homes from the devastation of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Starting in the highest-risk areas, existing structures must be retrofitted to add fire-resistant features and create surrounding defensible space.
—Tom Corringham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensible
Cite this Entry
“Defensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defensible. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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