on the defensive

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on the defensive

weary and ready to defend oneself. John goes on the defensive when his athletic ability is questioned. The child was on the defensive when questioned about cheating.

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Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength. The Art of War by Sun, Tzu View in context They are all on the defensive, lose their tempers, as though they all want to make one feel something. Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, Leo View in context This immediately put her on the defensive, and with one of those sudden impulses of reprisal to which she was liable she gave him a little push from her. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - A Pure Woman by Hardy, Thomas View in context			on the back burner on the ball on the bandwagon on the beam on the bench on the bias on the bird on the bleeding edge on the blink on the block on the boil on the books on the borderline on the bright side on the brink on the brink of on the bubble on the button on the carpet on the case on the cheap on the contrary on the cusp on the cutting edge on the cutting room floor on the defensive on the dole on the dot on the double on the edge on the edge of seat on the eve of on the face of it on the face of the earth on the factory floor on the fast track on the fence on the firing line on the fly on the fringe on the fritz on the front burner on the front line of on the front lines of on the good side of on the heels of on the hoof on the horizon on the horns of a dilemma on the hot seat on the hour			on the carpet on the carpet on the case on the chance on the chance on the chance on the chance on the cheap on the cheap on the cheap on the cheap On the Chip On the Close On the close order on the coattails on the coattails of on the confines of on the contrary on the contrary on the contrary on the contrary on the contrary On the Course Side on the cuff on the cuff on the cuff on the cusp on the cutting edge on the cutting room floor on the decline on the defensive On the docket On the docket on the dole on the dole on the dole on the dole On the Door on the doorstep on the doorstep on the dot on the dot on the dot On the Double On the Double On the Double On the Double On the Double On the Double On the Down Low on the edge on the edge on the edge on the edge on the edge on the edge On The Edge Christian Centre On The Edge Of on the edge of seat on the edge of seat on the edge of seat

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