bunker mentality

An attitude of extreme defensiveness and self-justification based on an often exaggerated sense of being under persistent attack from others.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

bunker mentality - defensiveness resulting from repeated attacks; "after so many suicide bombings the Israelis have to resist developing a bunker mentality"

defensiveness - excessive sensitivity to criticism; "his defensiveness was manifested in hurt silence"; "the fear of being sued for malpractice has magnified physicians' defensiveness"

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References in periodicals archive

The bunker mentality has to go and every minister must be included in the decision-making process.

IN THE BUNKER; McLeish must lose siege mentality and trust others

The Nottingham South MP said Downing Street had a "last days of Hitler bunker mentality" and the Prime Minister had until Christmas to improve.

'We may be underdogs but this is up for grabs'

BUNKER MENTALITY: Colin Montgomerie plays from the sand during a troubled round in Spain

Golf: Monty misery; STRUGGLE FOR RYDER CUP SKIPPER IN SEVILLE DANE TAKES CHARGE

Hitting middle age, it's easy to forget all this and get into a bunker mentality of pulling up drawbridges.

mind matters

Because, as the Manchester United defender explains, the indignity of any setback plunges him into a bunker mentality where his home is his hideaway.

Football: Losing hurts more than I can say; UEFA EURO 2008 Austria-Switzerland ENGLAND ACE SAYS CRITICS HAVE GOT IT WRONG RIO FREDINAND TALKS TO SUNDAY Mirror SPORT

It's a culture change designed to shake off the bunker mentality once and for all ( but not without a few twinges of regret from one or two.

We skip a century in one weekend

DESPITE the mini-heatwave and the resulting urge to get out and have fun, you can forgive some families if they're adopting a bunker mentality right now.

Leading article: Parents can help take off exam pressure

That's the thing with this bunker mentality. It's all very well, but your players have to behave themselves.

Paranoid Jose's back in his bunker to plot more Chelsea glory

These few words speak volumes about the Bush administration's bunker mentality over the continuing affront to everything America the beautiful stands for -freedom, justice, the right to trial and basic human dignity.

THE BLOOD-SPATTERED BANNER

GREECE: Greece have retreated into bunker mentality ahead of the tournament opening clash against Portugal tomorrow (5pm, BBC).

Euro 2004 in brief

But their no-show yesterday was probably symptomatic of a bunker mentality developing ahead of the certainty of an announcement of redundancies.

The Western Mail Comment: Time for all at Corus to be counted

ALEX McLEISH believes that a bunker mentality will help his side shut-up the Ibrox critics.

FOOTBALL: DON'T PANIC; CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS? McLeish and big Marv insist the good times are ahead Says ALEX McLEISH Alex returns fire on his critics but clock's ticking