Meaning & use
defending
Protecting a person, place, or idea from attack, criticism, or an opposing argument.
See it in a sentence
The lawyer spent hours defending her client's version of events in court.
The soldiers were defending the bridge against repeated attacks through the night.
A note on using this word
In sports, a defending champion is the current title holder from the previous competition, not someone literally fighting off attackers.
Words with a similar meaning
protectingguarding
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
attacking
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Currently holding a title won in a previous competition.
The defending champion lost in the first round of this year's tournament.
Make it your own
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