at the coalface
idiom
British
: at the place where the actual work of an activity is done
teachers working at the coalface in inner-city schools
Examples of at the coalface in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This hardscrabble bunch of journalists and technicians is right at the coalface of the struggle against censorship.
—
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024
Other governments have been at the coalface longer.
—Andrew Bruce, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
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Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024
Other governments have been at the coalface longer.
—Andrew Bruce, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“At the coalface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20coalface. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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