Victims have been bewildered and hurt when the Church has adopted a defensive stance.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Only once during our four-hour conversation does the friendly film-maker on my sofa suddenly jolt into a hardened defensive stance.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No. Normal police procedure is not to polarize a suspect; it puts people in a defensive stance.
Susan Isaacs AFTER ALL THESE YEARS (1993)