in defense of (something or someone)

idiom

variants or in something's or someone's defense

1

: in order to keep (something) safe that is being physically attacked

They fought in defense of their country.

2

: in support of (someone or something) that is being verbally attacked or criticized

She spoke out in defense of justice.

Let me say, in her defense, that I would have done the same thing that she did.

He spoke up in his own defense.

Examples of in defense of (something or someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The viral interview, in which Jancsó also suggested the film features renderings of blueprints and completed buildings partially generated by AI, resulted in intense backlash that prompted writer-director Brady Corbet to speak out in defense of the movie’s use of the technology. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 2 Mar. 2025

Young people living far from the frontline states of NATO's eastern flank with Russia show little appetite to serve in the military, let alone fight a war in defense of the continent. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025

Congressional Republicans’ responses to Trump’s outrageous comments were largely muted even as a few senators like Thom Tillis came out forcefully in defense of Ukraine and against Vladimir Putin. —Mordechai Gordon, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025

Cloud, who previously spoke out against the U.S. government on social media over the cost of living in May 2024, spoke this week in defense of DEI after President Donald Trump ordered the elimination of several government DEI programs. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025