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
The crowd returned the love to the back-to-back All-Star defenseman, politely ignoring his name being misspelled on the video board.
—
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Major junior defenseman Levi Harper and goalie Carter Casey are expected to arrive in Minneapolis from the Canadian leagues in 2027.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Throughout the Winter Olympics, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is giving readers of The Athletic an inside look at Team USA.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Slovakia also has players such as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak on the ice and Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defenseman
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.
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Major junior defenseman Levi Harper and goalie Carter Casey are expected to arrive in Minneapolis from the Canadian leagues in 2027.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Throughout the Winter Olympics, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is giving readers of The Athletic an inside look at Team USA.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Slovakia also has players such as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak on the ice and Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 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 14 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
