rear guard

noun

Definition of rear guardnext
as in firing squad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rear guard The north was expected to be America’s rear guard, a place where values like democracy and women’s rights might have taken hold. — Azam Ahmed, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024 And assassins from a coalition of all the local indigenous tribes — out for blood over the murder of Jimmy the Creek, one of their own, last episode — slit the throats of Ming’s rear guard. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024 Indeed, Dnipropetrovsk has been a key rear guard for the Ukrainian military and National Guard. — Taras Kuzio, Foreign Affairs, 25 Jan. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rear guard
  1. firing squad
  2. patrol
  3. outpost
  4. watch
  5. picket
  6. sentry
Noun
  • Mahdi will be strapped to a chair 15 feet from three prison employees who volunteered to be on the firing squad.
    — Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The expiration date marks the day the Prime Minister of Granada, Maurice Bishop, was assassinated by a firing squad, which was followed by a U.S. military invasion.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of firing squad
Noun
  • What Happens Next The Russian military will continue its activities, including exercises and patrols, in the Sea of Japan.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • This year — in which Gov. Hochul has been funding additional overtime for overnight transit cop patrols — has seen a further reduction, with an average of 4.4 major crimes a day for January and February.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of patrol
Noun
  • The sales success led to the decision to open its own outpost.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Now, Leslie said, there’s always a line when the doors open at 7: 30 a.m., and there are even plans to open a Manhattan outpost later this year.
    — Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of outpost
Noun
  • More than 3 million people were under tornado watches in the region Friday afternoon.
    — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Moët is one of the ‘maisons’ that is part of the LVMH Group alongside brands such as Louis Vuitton, which has enjoyed extensive trackside advertising at races this year, and TAG Heuer, the watch brand which became F1’s official timekeeping partner for the 2025 season.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of watch
Noun
  • Several picket signs were decorated with messaging against Musk and President Donald Trump.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Tuesday’s demonstration served as a precursor to an informational picket scheduled for Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outside the California Department of Human Resources.
    — William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of picket
Noun
  • The snout of a curious whale and the muzzle of a four-legged sentry came oh-so close.
    — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 7 Apr. 2025
  • In the early hours of April 21, 1775, gale-force winds whipped across the town square, driving the shivering sentries from their posts to the shelter of their beds.
    — Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of sentry

Browse Nearby Words

rear ends
rear guard
rear guards
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Cite this Entry

“Rear guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rear%20guard. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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