1
as in defendable
capable of being defended against physical attack
the pioneers retreated to a defensible hillside to take a stand against the raiders
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifiable
capable of being defended with good reasoning against verbal attack
there's simply no defensible reason for dropping out of school
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defensible
Following fire officials’ recommendations can mean clearing defensible space around homes, replacing fire-prone plants and limiting or removing burnable material, such as wood fencing and sheds.
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Elizabeth A. Logan, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
About six weeks later, after multiple lawsuits, we were reinstated, but warned that more legally defensible layoffs were likely coming.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
This is meant to reduce fuel loads and create defensible space and fuel breaks that protect homes and support safe evacuation routes, officials said.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Another catalyst is that Airbnb is relatively more defensible against AI versus traditional online travel agencies due to its strong brand and high direct usage, Erickson said.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defensible
Adjective
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The number of killings investigated last year fell to 67, with 57 of those categorized as murders — excluding cases such as justifiable homicides — a total not seen since 1967, according to data compiled by this news organization.—
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The joke isn’t on the protagonists for feeling justifiable feelings.—
Adjective
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The preservation was so exceptional that the researchers could identify countershading patterns, indicating this armored dinosaur relied on camouflage despite its heavily defended appearance.—
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Private firefighting outfits defended companies, utilities, and ultrarich enclaves while other parts of the city burned.—
Adjective
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Local companies offer half- and full-day excursions to the island and its protected ecosystem.—
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By choosing a jurisdiction with strict privacy laws and tougher limits on photographing children, Clooney is effectively arbitraging legal regimes the way multinational corporations arbitrage tax codes—only here the protected asset is family life, not corporate profit.—
Adjective
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Less secured bonds in Saks Global financing were trading below 9 cents on the dollar.—
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Advertisement Finally, following the success of Decision to Leave, Park secured funding for his adaptation of The Ax—but for a Korean version of the film.—
Cite this Entry
“Defensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defensible. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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