defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
di-ˈfen(t)s-mən 
-ˌman
: a player in a sport (such as hockey) who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
Examples of defenseman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Sharks this summer added forwards Tyler Toffoli, Barclay Goodrow, and Alexander Wennberg, among others, plus defensemen Cody Ceci and Jake Walman.
—
Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024
Another defenseman who can play on the top two pairings but is more defensive-minded, someone who could help on the penalty kill?
—Barry Svrluga, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
To that end, the complaint cites BU defenseman Tom Willander, whom the Vancouver Canucks selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2024
When the United States lost to Canada in the gold medal match of the 2022 World Games under the Sixes format, the two teams did not roster defensemen with their traditional 6-foot sticks in favor of short-stick defensive midfielders who could play both ends of the field.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for defenseman 
Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024
Another defenseman who can play on the top two pairings but is more defensive-minded, someone who could help on the penalty kill?
—Barry Svrluga, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
To that end, the complaint cites BU defenseman Tom Willander, whom the Vancouver Canucks selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2024
When the United States lost to Canada in the gold medal match of the 2022 World Games under the Sixes format, the two teams did not roster defensemen with their traditional 6-foot sticks in favor of short-stick defensive midfielders who could play both ends of the field.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for defenseman
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defenseman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near defenseman
Cite this Entry
“Defenseman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defenseman. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
-mən
-ˌman
: a player in a sport who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
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