1
as in ammunition
means or method of defending
thorns are a rose's defense against grazing animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excuse
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
there's absolutely no defense for your actions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defense
Camara was Mali’s defense minister, and is widely credited with bringing in Moscow’s mercenary Africa Corps to assist in battling the militia.
—
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The work would be locked down, and the focus would be primarily on defense applications, as opposed to the products made for businesses and individuals—ChatGPT and the like—that dominate the market today.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
To streamline its defense supply chain, Ukraine has invested roughly $330 million (14 billion hryvnia) since January to deliver over 181,000 systems, including drones and electronic warfare units, via a direct digital procurement platform.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The Buckeyes focused on restocking a defense that lost eight starters from the unit that led the nation in total and scoring defense for the second straight year.
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defense
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The work would be locked down, and the focus would be primarily on defense applications, as opposed to the products made for businesses and individuals—ChatGPT and the like—that dominate the market today.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
To streamline its defense supply chain, Ukraine has invested roughly $330 million (14 billion hryvnia) since January to deliver over 181,000 systems, including drones and electronic warfare units, via a direct digital procurement platform.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The Buckeyes focused on restocking a defense that lost eight starters from the unit that led the nation in total and scoring defense for the second straight year.
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defense
Noun
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When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in a series of scandals that hurt her husband’s approval rating and provided relentless political ammunition to his rivals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in scandals that hurt her husband’s approval rating and provided political ammunition to his rivals.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Looking for an excuse to eat, drink and be merry this weekend?—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At Dos Pueblos High in Goleta, baseball coach George Hedricks needed no excuses to start freshman Mattias Di Maggio, considering last name of DiMaggio is one of the best baseball names in the history of the sport.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, in the United States and around the world, women’s rights and protections are being systematically stripped away.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
By combining cutting-edge protection, mobility, and digital integration, these vehicles are set to play a crucial role in enhancing military effectiveness and safeguarding personnel.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Democrats challenged contradictions in the war’s justification, noting that Iran’s nuclear facilities were already reportedly destroyed in 2025.—
Ben Finley,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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When those forces converge, the subsidy that makes AI accessible to ordinary workers will lose its justification.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These efforts worked — but only as a temporary shield.—
Jennifer Granholm,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Warren used the Brink’s driver as a shield and pointed his gun at the guard.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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McCollum’s line was one of the biggest reasons the game never got complicated.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some have branded it unsafe and unworkable, citing their concerns around potential coercion of vulnerable people and a lack of safeguards for those with disabilities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The provision directs the Judicial Conference, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, to report to Congress within 180 days on whether organized jury nullification efforts are affecting federal jury management and on the safeguards that exist to address them.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the field, Baltimore picked up another weapon.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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In addition to SBIs to defend against missile attacks, Golden Dome will include lower-altitude and ground-based munitions suited for eliminating drones and other smaller, slower-moving aerial weapons.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defense. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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