as in vulnerable
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
the cowardly soldiers fled, leaving the palace undefended
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Recent Examples of undefended
In the north, Darwin was facing near-weekly bombing raids from Japanese bases on Timor and surrounding islands, and thousands of miles of tropical coastline were uninhabited and undefended.
—
Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024
The whine of mosquitoes probing for just one millimeter of flesh undefended by DEET was constant, set off by a counterpoint buzz of horseflies circling my head.
—Rusty Foster, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
Finally, the extensive, rugged border between China and India will always furnish undefended areas that provide fertile ground for territory grabs.
—Dan Altman, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2021
Public tolerance of inaccurate and undefended allegations, non sequiturs in response to hard questions and outright denials of facts are shockingly high.
—Kathleen Higgins, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2016
See All Example Sentences for undefended
Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024
The whine of mosquitoes probing for just one millimeter of flesh undefended by DEET was constant, set off by a counterpoint buzz of horseflies circling my head.
—Rusty Foster, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
Finally, the extensive, rugged border between China and India will always furnish undefended areas that provide fertile ground for territory grabs.
—Dan Altman, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2021
Public tolerance of inaccurate and undefended allegations, non sequiturs in response to hard questions and outright denials of facts are shockingly high.
—Kathleen Higgins, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2016
See All Example Sentences for undefended
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undefended
Adjective
-
For the lead plaintiffs in the investors' suit, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the scheme allegedly robbed retirees of gains used to sustain their quality of life at a particularly vulnerable time.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 Mar. 2025
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Malnutrition leaves children vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhea and other diseases.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Many parents are left feeling helpless—a common experience among pop-parenting adherents.—
Gail Cornwall,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was helpless to stop his former teammate, falling to the ice as Perron beat Detroit goalie Alex Lyon gloveside.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The monounsaturated fat makes canola less susceptible to oxidation, Kane adds.—
Matt Fuchs,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The number of children who are not getting the measles vaccine has increased, making the U.S. population more susceptible to infection.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Roughly 280,000 school children were unvaccinated and unprotected against measles during the 2023-2024 school year alone, the CDC said.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2025
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The cuts risk losing the web of contacts built during years of working in those countries and leaving groups on the ground unprotected from government repression, Twining argued in the call.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undefended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undefended. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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