zone defense

noun

: a system of defense (as in basketball or football) in which each player guards an assigned area rather than a specified opponent

Examples of zone defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Houston has stymied them with a double big lineup that often shifts into a zone defense. The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 3 May 2025 Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points for the Razorbacks, and Davis finished with 18 as Arkansas overcame a typically shaky offensive performance in the second half (30 percent from the floor against a rare Kansas zone defense) with some tough defense of its own down the stretch. Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025 Dancing into Final Four: Powered by John Wallace and an effective 2-3 zone defense, Syracuse advanced to the Final Four with a 60-57 win over Kansas in 1996. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2025 Miami closed to within 85-79 very late in the third, a stretch when Miami briefly gave the Cavs problems with their zone defense. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for zone defense

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zone defense was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Zone defense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20defense. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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