a human chain

noun

: a line of people standing next to each other with their arms linked
Protesters formed a human chain around the ancient tree to prevent it from being cut down.

Examples of a human chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Firefighters and emergency responders formed a human chain to protect the most precious artifacts, including the Crown of Thorns alleged to have been worn by Jesus during his crucifixion, Time reported. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 15 Dec. 2023 The sheriff's office said firefighters used a human chain to pass the presents to the deputies, who then placed them on dry land. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 His death occurred despite a team effort to save him by lifeguards and beachgoers who formed a human chain to pull him from the water. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2023 As one lifeguard began the rescue, a backup team arrived and used their buoys to help form a human chain to drag the man to safety. Carissa Quiambao, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 On April 6, when authorities were trying to clear rubble, including what many locals feared were remains of historic buildings that could never be recovered, Mr. Kara joined activists who formed a human chain to stop them. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2023 Younger Haitian men stay behind to help others cross, forming a human chain. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 15 Apr. 2023 July 23-24 Ahead of the vote, protesters linked themselves together to form a human chain in Jerusalem. Joe Snell, Washington Post, 24 July 2023 In Jerusalem, thousands of demonstrators camped outside the Knesset building, and thousands more linked arms to form a human chain from the Western Wall in the Old City to the parliament, calling on lawmakers to halt the bill's passage until a consensus is reached. Shira Rubin and Steve Hendrix The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a human chain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near a human chain

Cite this Entry

“A human chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20human%20chain. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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