trench warfare

noun

: warfare in which the opposing forces attack and counterattack from a relatively permanent system of trenches protected by barbed-wire entanglements

Examples of trench warfare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And with tight polling and such a short runway left in the election, the race has morphed into trench warfare, leaving both sides looking for any way to have the edge when the fighting ends on Nov. 5. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024 Plastic surgery became more important with the advent of trench warfare in World War I, when bullets could strike people in the face in the trenches. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 10 July 2024 Instead, Russia has imposed on us years of trench warfare, as in the previous century. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 July 2024 The 90 minutes of footage (that’s the point at which the camera battery ran out), which received minor post-production tweaks involving sound and color correction, serves as a visual document of modern trench warfare. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for trench warfare 

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trench warfare was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near trench warfare

Cite this Entry

“Trench warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trench%20warfare. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on trench warfare

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!