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
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Going to a zone defense slowed Minnesota down further in the fourth, but the Nuggets weren’t generating the shots they’re used to getting automatically.
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Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
The Heat went to a zone defense in the fourth quarter and Charlotte couldn’t manage to shoot them out of it, knocking down just 4 of 17 from behind the line in the final 12 minutes of regulation.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The Pelicans went on a 17-3 run across a five-minute stretch in the second quarter when their zone defense gave Orlando’s offense problems.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2026
South Carolina made a mid-second quarter adjustment into a zone defense and a half-court press that forced one 10-second violation and another turnover that led to a fast-break layup and and free throw from Ta’Niya Latson.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
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Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
The Heat went to a zone defense in the fourth quarter and Charlotte couldn’t manage to shoot them out of it, knocking down just 4 of 17 from behind the line in the final 12 minutes of regulation.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The Pelicans went on a 17-3 run across a five-minute stretch in the second quarter when their zone defense gave Orlando’s offense problems.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2026
South Carolina made a mid-second quarter adjustment into a zone defense and a half-court press that forced one 10-second violation and another turnover that led to a fast-break layup and and free throw from Ta’Niya Latson.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zone defense
Cite this Entry
“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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