defensive action
Guarding against attack
Defensive action is a move taken to protect against attack, criticism, or disadvantage.
In military and legal contexts, it refers specifically to measures taken in response to aggression rather than initiating it: The country claimed the invasion was defensive action against border incursions.
In sports and business, defensive action means protecting a position rather than advancing: The company took defensive action against the hostile takeover.
- countermeasureDefense against a threat
- deterrentThing that discourages action
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- barricadeObstacle blocking a path
- denialRefusal to accept reality
armor · evacuation plan · surveillance · intelligence gathering · self-preservation · plea · projection · rear guard · risk assessment · rationalization · parry · camouflage · evasive maneuver · contingency plan · coping mechanism · fortification · last stand · helmet
- self-defensemartial arts, self-protection, karate, pepper spray, reasonable force
- counterattackscounterattack, counterblow, counterstrike, counterpunch, counteroffensive
- legal necessitynecessity, legal justification, justification, legal excuse, duress
defensive actionattack
Aggressive act against another
aggression · offensive · assault · strike · offensive push
defensive actioninitiative
Self-directed action capacity
first strike · preemption · provocation · escalation · power play
defensive, defense, defend, defender, defenders, defenses, defensively, defensiveness, defended