as in defensive
intended to resist or prevent attack or aggression
the cat drew back its ears and sank into a protective posture as the dog approached it
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Recent Examples of protective
In January, a tourist on the Argentine side of the falls reportedly crossed protective barriers near the Devil's Throat viewpoint to retrieve a hat that had blown away.
—
Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Workers will lower protective shielding around the assembly before placing it inside the machine’s interior.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Other states, like New York and California, are much more protective of labor rights and supportive of unions.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026
The final steps help create a long-lasting protective finish.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026
Straight-back cornrows are a timeless protective style that can be customized with beads, accessories, creative partings, and varying braid sizes.
—Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 9 June 2026
One major challenge is the tumor microenvironment — a network of cells and signals surrounding a tumor that can act as a protective shield for cancer and prevent immunotherapy from working effectively.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
But radiologist Elizabeth McDonald at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-authored that study, says the protective effects with GLP-1s appear greater than with other treatments or lifestyle changes.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 9 June 2026
These protective measures don’t always work.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Workers will lower protective shielding around the assembly before placing it inside the machine’s interior.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
Other states, like New York and California, are much more protective of labor rights and supportive of unions.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026
The final steps help create a long-lasting protective finish.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026
Straight-back cornrows are a timeless protective style that can be customized with beads, accessories, creative partings, and varying braid sizes.
—Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 9 June 2026
One major challenge is the tumor microenvironment — a network of cells and signals surrounding a tumor that can act as a protective shield for cancer and prevent immunotherapy from working effectively.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026
But radiologist Elizabeth McDonald at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-authored that study, says the protective effects with GLP-1s appear greater than with other treatments or lifestyle changes.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 9 June 2026
These protective measures don’t always work.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protective
defensive
Adjective
-
Kaedan Korczak replaced Dylan Coghlan on the third defensive pairing.—
Mark Anderson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
But the bigger job, the advisors agreed, is defensive.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protective. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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