zone defense
noun
: a system of defense (as in basketball or football) in which each player guards an assigned area rather than a specified opponent
Examples of zone defense in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Posey helped provide a spark off the bench for TCU early in the second half when Colorado went to a zone defense.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2025
Third quarter spurt, but Sixers respond The Kings moved to a zone defense early in the third quarter that seemed to flummox Philadelphia.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2025
With the Heat staying in its zone defense for most of the night, the Warriors struggled to make shots.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
The Highlanders’ zone defense can perplex their opponents.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for zone defense 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2025
Third quarter spurt, but Sixers respond The Kings moved to a zone defense early in the third quarter that seemed to flummox Philadelphia.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2025
With the Heat staying in its zone defense for most of the night, the Warriors struggled to make shots.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
The Highlanders’ zone defense can perplex their opponents.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for zone defense
Dictionary Entries Near zone defense
Cite this Entry
“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share