behind enemy lines

idiom

: in an area controlled by the enemy
a secret mission behind enemy lines

Examples of behind enemy lines in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tanks that combine speed, protection, and firepower can sprint rapidly across the battlefield, shrugging off hits, engaging enemy forces with cannons and machine guns, and driving deep behind enemy lines. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 5 Sep. 2023 These grenades were designed to destroy enemy tanks and soldiers deep behind enemy lines on land where allied soldiers were never meant to tread. John Ismay, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2023 More ambitiously, a stealth transport would be useful for inserting airborne and special operations forces behind enemy lines. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 Switchblade 600 has a 40-minute loitering range, and can fly up to 40 kilometers, allowing a typical infantry unit to strike far behind enemy lines. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 9 Aug. 2023 Ukraine’s elite forces rely on technology to strike behind enemy lines A Ukrainian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said that the woman was detained on Aug. 1. Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2023 The timing of the Incheon landing placed American Marines behind enemy lines. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 27 July 2023 The film tells the story of the daring rescue of over 5,000 animals that were trapped in a wildlife park behind enemy lines during the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian War. Brent Lang, Variety, 18 July 2023 Drones have allowed Ukraine to surveil and hit sensitive targets far behind enemy lines while improving the accuracy of its conventional artillery. Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 26 July 2023 See More

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

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Cite this Entry

“Behind enemy lines.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20enemy%20lines. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

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