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
Nashville Tennessean Thousands are expected to form a human chain across midtown Nashville on March 27 to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly Covenant School shooting.
—
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 20 Mar. 2024
Late Tuesday, students linked arms and formed a human chain around their temporary encampment — an effort to prevent it from being broken up.
—Amanda McCard, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
In one Michigan community, a human chain helped a small bookstore transport its entire inventory, one book at a time, to its new location.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
On Tuesday, protesters formed a human chain outside the Israeli parliament, also known as the Knesset, to demand the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
Dozens of protesters, including relatives of hostages, formed a human chain Tuesday outside Israel’s parliament, demanding the deal be sealed.
—Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The security team formed a barricade comprising about 10 buses and vehicles, at one point forming a human chain of about 200 officers to block access, according to CIO.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing survivors to safety.
—CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024
Another video showed police entering the encampment as demonstrators appeared to form a human chain.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
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.
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 20 Mar. 2024
Late Tuesday, students linked arms and formed a human chain around their temporary encampment — an effort to prevent it from being broken up.
—Amanda McCard, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
In one Michigan community, a human chain helped a small bookstore transport its entire inventory, one book at a time, to its new location.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
On Tuesday, protesters formed a human chain outside the Israeli parliament, also known as the Knesset, to demand the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
Dozens of protesters, including relatives of hostages, formed a human chain Tuesday outside Israel’s parliament, demanding the deal be sealed.
—Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The security team formed a barricade comprising about 10 buses and vehicles, at one point forming a human chain of about 200 officers to block access, according to CIO.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing survivors to safety.
—CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024
Another video showed police entering the encampment as demonstrators appeared to form a human chain.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“A human chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20human%20chain. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share