on the defensive

Idioms and Phrases

Prepared for withstanding aggression or attack, as in The debate team's plan was to keep their opponents on the defensive , or This teacher put students on the defensive about their mistakes . [c. 1600]

Example Sentences

She didn’t return the one against the Patriots for a score, but it did set up a touchdown pass from Emily Wagner to Meadow Moore in the first half that put Birmingham on the defensive.

From Los Angeles Times

She put Trump on the defensive for much of the night, baiting him into obsessing about crowd sizes at his rallies and fixating on an imagined crisis — Haitian immigrants eating household pets in one Ohio town.

From Los Angeles Times

That effort started on the defensive end, just as Musselman promised it would, as the Trojans shut down Chattanooga on the perimeter, holding the Mocs to a meager 28% shooting from the field.

From Los Angeles Times

From the moment Monday’s game began, the Lakers’ biggest issues — the ones on the defensive end — were the biggest problems on the court.

From Los Angeles Times

But Farrell’s campaign has recently been on the defensive after several ethical scandals.

From Los Angeles Times