defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
di-ˈfen(t)s-mən 
-ˌman
: a player in a sport (such as hockey) who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
Examples of defenseman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Of course, that space can’t be burned up on just two players, and Verbeek must also consider RFA defensemen Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.
—
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Cale Makar, the Avalanche’s star defenseman, didn’t even come out to the bench at the start of Game 5’s epic overtime finish.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
Ducks center Ryan Poehling was helped off the ice after being checked hard into the boards by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb nearly midway through the first period.
—CBS News, 13 May 2026
Reid has a knack for killing opposing breakaways and retrieving loose pucks, which makes up for not being the most physical defenseman at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
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Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Cale Makar, the Avalanche’s star defenseman, didn’t even come out to the bench at the start of Game 5’s epic overtime finish.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
Ducks center Ryan Poehling was helped off the ice after being checked hard into the boards by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb nearly midway through the first period.
—CBS News, 13 May 2026
Reid has a knack for killing opposing breakaways and retrieving loose pucks, which makes up for not being the most physical defenseman at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for defenseman
Cite this Entry
“Defenseman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defenseman. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
defenseman
noun
de·fense·man
-mən
-ˌman
: a player in a sport who is assigned to a defensive zone or position
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