Protects oneself, possum-style

PLAYSDEAD

This defensive tactic involves feigning lifelessness to trick predators, often seen in animals like opossums when threatened. Think of a two-word phrase describing the action.

This clue plays on the phrase "playing possum," which means pretending to be dead to avoid danger—just like a possum does. The answer "PLAYSDEAD" combines the verb "plays" with "dead" to describe the same defensive behavior in a more direct way. It’s a clever twist that turns a common animal idiom into a straightforward action.