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
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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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Recent Examples of defensible
The key is to handle the process with care and thoughtfulness, ensuring decisions are defensible if questioned.
—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
The Palisades house, which took six years to complete, incorporated defensible space: a border area from which anything flammable—like dead plants and wooden furniture—is removed.
—Natalie Donback, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
But there’s no defensible worldview in which presidents should be chosen by a cockamamie system that gives small states disproportionate weight and throws all votes in almost every state to whoever wins their plurality.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
The house sits on relatively defensible ground, partly because of a concrete backyard basketball court.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensible
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
The Palisades house, which took six years to complete, incorporated defensible space: a border area from which anything flammable—like dead plants and wooden furniture—is removed.
—Natalie Donback, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
But there’s no defensible worldview in which presidents should be chosen by a cockamamie system that gives small states disproportionate weight and throws all votes in almost every state to whoever wins their plurality.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025
The house sits on relatively defensible ground, partly because of a concrete backyard basketball court.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defensible
Cite this Entry
“Defensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defensible. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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