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defensively

/dɪfˈɛnsɪvli/adverb4 syllables

Defensively means: in an apologetic and defensive manner.

Opposites of defensively

offensively

What does defensively mean?2

adverb

1

in an apologetic and defensive manner“‘I felt it better you should know,’ said Sir Cedric defensively”

2

in a defensive manner“the general conviction that our side is in the right and acting defensively over what Russians call the German question and Americans the Berlin crisis”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with defensively?3

four syllables

extensivelyoffensively

five syllables

comprehensively
Show 36 near rhymes
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Defensively in a sentence

  • Stingrays only use their stingers defensively, so injuries to humans are rare.Auride
  • Buddhists are not so anti-science as some Christians defensively are.nonong

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.