A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

dead right
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defend someone against something • defend
 someone from something
defend someone against something —protect a person by re-
pelling an attack against him: The way to defend Milton
against all impugners is to take down the book and read it.
defend someone from something —keep a person free from at-
tack, danger, etc.: The U.S. intelligence services sponsored
his rise to power, and defended him from any credible oppo-
sition.
defense industries • defensive industries
defense industries —factories involved in manufacturing
weaponry: In 
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Roosevelt issued an executive order pro-
hibiting racial discrimination in the employing of workers by
national defense industries.
defensive industries —industries which provide the consumer
with his basic needs (such as food, utilities, etc.): In emerging
markets, defensive industries have typically been populated
with small to medium-sized companies.
defer something • defer to something
defer something —put smth. off until a later time: It was
agreed to defer this application for two weeks in order to re-
ceive documentation from the agent.
defer to something —acknowledge the merit of a person’s
opinion or action: The Tribunal will normally defer to his
judgment on such matters.
definite answer • definitive answer
definite answer —answer that is precise, clear and leaves no
room to uncertainty: In all encounters with Leonardo there is
never a definite answer to any of the aesthetic or psychological
questions which he raises.
definitive answer —answer that is final and may no longer
be changed: There is no definitive answer to the question of
how many senses there are: we have yet to discover all of our
own.