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defend

verb (SPORT)
 
 
/dɪˈfend/

Definition

[T] to compete in a sports competition that you won before and try to win it again: He will defend his 1500 metre title at the weekend. The defending champion will play her first match of the tournament tomorrow.Competing in sportCompeting and contending (non-sporting) [I] to try to prevent the opposing player or players from scoring points, goals, etc. in a sport: In the last ten minutes of the match, we needed to defend.General terms used in ball sports
(Definition of defend verb (SPORT) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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