on the offensive

phrase

: in or into a situation or position in which one attacks or fights against someone or something
The soldiers are on the offensive.
She went on the offensive to fight the charges against her.

Examples of on the offensive 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.
The priority, however, is getting Ohtani back to himself on the offensive side before the postseason — whether that means a couple days off or more than a week. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Then again, not many teams can survive multiple long-term injuries on the offensive line. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 There’s a new quarterback, a lot of new players on the offensive line, multiple key players to replace on defense. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Likewise, Nvidia’s purchase of Hugging Face allows the AI chip giant to go on the offensive by further aligning open-source LLM development with the Nvidia ecosystem, while also playing defense by keeping the platform out of competitors’ hands. — CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for on the offensive

Rhymes for on the offensive

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Browse Nearby Words

on the off chance
on the offensive
on the one hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On the offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20offensive. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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