She gave up the effort necessary to resist sounding defensive.

"I'll think about it," I said, and my voice sounded defensive even to me.

He tried a laugh, but sounded defensive all the same.

"I don't want to sound defensive, but this is something that could have happened on any campus."

"The real question," one administration official said, trying his best not to sound defensive, "is how did the Iraqi market do?"

"Less than a year," she said, trying not to sound too defensive.

No matter what she said it would sound defensive.

Dean might have believed him had he not sounded so defensive.

She doesn't sound defensive; it's more that she's trying to clarify.

And try not to sound so defensive when you talk about Saddam.