entrench
verb
en·trench
in-ˈtrench 
en-
variants
or less commonly intrench
entrenched also intrenched; entrenching also intrenching; entrenches also intrenches
1
a
: to place within or surround with a trench especially for defense
b
: to place (oneself) in a strong defensive position
c
: to establish solidly
entrenched themselves in the business
2
: to cut into : furrow
specifically
: to erode downward so as to form a trench
1
: to dig or occupy a trench for defensive purposes
2
: to enter upon or take over something unfairly, improperly, or unlawfully : encroach
—used with on or upon
Synonyms
Examples of entrench in a Sentence
officials who have tried to entrench themselves in office
a father who entrenched in our minds the belief that hard work pays off
Recent Examples on the Web
The Padres have Fernando Tatis Jr. entrenched at that position, and Jackson Merrill in center field.
—
Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The party says it is focused on entrenching its mobilization of women to get more of them into leadership positions at lower levels of politics.
—Pamodi Waravita, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has also entrenched its officials into the U.S. Treasury, the General Services Administration, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Just last week, Trump and OpenAI announced a $500 billion partnership to use AI for infrastructure, which further entrenches OpenAI as a dominant AI vendor for government.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for entrench 
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Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The party says it is focused on entrenching its mobilization of women to get more of them into leadership positions at lower levels of politics.
—Pamodi Waravita, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has also entrenched its officials into the U.S. Treasury, the General Services Administration, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Just last week, Trump and OpenAI announced a $500 billion partnership to use AI for infrastructure, which further entrenches OpenAI as a dominant AI vendor for government.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for entrench
Dictionary Entries Near entrench
Cite this Entry
“Entrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrench. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
entrench
verb
en·trench
in-ˈtrench
1
a
: to dig, place within, surround with, or occupy a trench especially for defense
b
: to establish solidly
2
: encroach sense 1
—used with on or upon
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