"on the defensive" meaning in All languages combined

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "on the attack"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "on the defensive",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "on the defensive",
      "name": "en-prep phrase"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1982 December 11, Frances Russell, “Economic performance buoys Pawley’s position”, in The Vancouver Sun (The Weekend Sun), Vancouver, BC, page A6",
          "text": "Last year, despite winning 34 of the legislature’s 57 seats with 47 per cent of the popular vote, the NDP was on the defensive almost from the start.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression."
      ],
      "id": "en-on_the_defensive-en-prep_phrase-yPMoVDJ8",
      "links": [
        [
          "Prepared",
          "prepared"
        ],
        [
          "defend",
          "defend"
        ],
        [
          "protect",
          "protect"
        ],
        [
          "criticism",
          "criticism"
        ],
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ],
        [
          "aggression",
          "aggression"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 88",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News",
          "text": "Brazil's greater quality and assurance in possession meant England spent much of the game on the defensive.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "defending; playing a defensive game"
      ],
      "id": "en-on_the_defensive-en-prep_phrase-dfpO7d3i",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "defend",
          "defend"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sports) defending; playing a defensive game"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "18 82",
          "word": "initiative"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "18 82",
          "word": "tempo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "18 82",
          "word": "one step ahead"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "on the defensive"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "on the attack"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English prepositional phrases"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "on the defensive",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "on the defensive",
      "name": "en-prep phrase"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "initiative"
    },
    {
      "word": "tempo"
    },
    {
      "word": "one step ahead"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1982 December 11, Frances Russell, “Economic performance buoys Pawley’s position”, in The Vancouver Sun (The Weekend Sun), Vancouver, BC, page A6",
          "text": "Last year, despite winning 34 of the legislature’s 57 seats with 47 per cent of the popular vote, the NDP was on the defensive almost from the start.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Prepared",
          "prepared"
        ],
        [
          "defend",
          "defend"
        ],
        [
          "protect",
          "protect"
        ],
        [
          "criticism",
          "criticism"
        ],
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ],
        [
          "aggression",
          "aggression"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News",
          "text": "Brazil's greater quality and assurance in possession meant England spent much of the game on the defensive.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "defending; playing a defensive game"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "defend",
          "defend"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sports) defending; playing a defensive game"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "on the defensive"
}