How to Use on the defensive in a Sentence

on the defensive

phrase
  • Despite being on the defensive for most of this match, Japan is now in front!
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 June 2026
  • The Wizards need someone who can help on the defensive glass and protect the rim.
    — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • One area where Okot is still developing is on the defensive end.
    — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
  • The only issue with being oversized would be on the defensive end.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
  • Indiana’s offense wasn't the problem, but the team looked tired on the defensive end at times.
    — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Simply finding playing time on the defensive side of the ball during the preseason will be a challenge.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026
  • The first-team defense’s three straight three-and-outs could have contributed to no one else getting time on the defensive line or at outside linebacker.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Richard averaged nine points a game in Las Vegas, but made his biggest impact on the defensive side of the floor.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • During the regular season, though, James conserves energy, and much of that shows up on the defensive end.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • However, age is quite a bit of a concern here, especially on the defensive side of the ball, so the bottom could certainly fall out.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The position group takes a step back overall, but the experience on the defensive line masks some of the linebacker’s limitations.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Factory managers were often on the defensive, since raising vision problems could sound like a critique of their management.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
  • And the rookie is already emphasizing the importance of switchability on the defensive end of the court.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Carter is a core player with Davis on the defensive line, with Mitchell and DeJean next in line for record-setting deals after the season.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • He is expected to be an integral piece of any possible improvement on the defensive side of the ball in 2026 and beyond.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Because his offensive responsibility went down, his energy on the defensive end went up.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • The films also rolled into being at a time when antisemitism is on the rise and anti-Israel fervor over the Gaza war has put Jews on the defensive.
    — Stephen Silver, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Head coach Carlos Queiroz has become well known for his tactical knowhow on the defensive end and will look to thwart Colombia’s many offensive talents.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • The incident itself simultaneously highlights the dangers of a lack of guardrails on the offensive side and the limitations of too many guardrails on the defensive side.
    — Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Deal is one of several returning starters on the defensive line, along with senior Ansel Din-Mbuh and junior Paul Oyewale.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
  • California’s billionaires are going on the defensive, putting millions of dollars behind an effort to defeat a one-time billionaire tax that would collect 5% of their net worth if approved.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That’s why the mission was to create waves on the defensive line, to add game-changers built for big moments, such as Dexter Lawrence, and to focus on players with winning, championship pedigrees.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The comments followed lackluster second quarter financials with execs on the defensive as analysts grilled the company on what Wall Street perceives as a bit of a slump.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 July 2026
  • Sneed also rose to the occasion on the defensive end, guarding KU legend Frank Mason III.
    — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • In any case, OpenAI’s breach of Hugging Face is both a cautionary tale of lack of guardrails on the offensive side and over moderation on the defensive side.
    — Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • And she’s constantly tasked with slowing down some of the best opposing players in the WNBA on some nights, and playing a free safety role to help her teammates on the defensive end.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And recruiting on the defensive interior had been poor the previous few cycles, as Notre Dame went four years without signing a front-line tackle who developed into a high-end college player.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman has been part of a youth movement on the defensive line as the Steelers begin to plan for life after Cameron Heyward.
    — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • He's also played for teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, earning a reputation as a steady, reliable presence on the defensive line and one of the more experienced players in the game.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • So, if there is no true WR3 in Denver’s offense — frequent personnel switches can put receivers in different positions depending on the defensive look — the question then becomes who will be the most reliable producer outside of the top two?
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

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

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