the trenches
plural noun
: a place or situation in which people do very difficult work
These people are working every day down in the trenches to improve the lives of refugees.
Examples of the trenches in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team had spent more than $100 million on new players for the trenches, and rightfully, the signings of guard Will Fries, center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave occupied the headlines (along with the quarterback conversation).
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Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 June 2025
No matter the scheme, Wilks says everything the Jets will do defensively will start in the trenches.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 2 June 2025
As the cofounder of a health AI startup and someone who has spent a decade in healthcare and data science—from the halls of Harvard to the trenches of health plan operations—I’ve seen the real trenches and the real hype.
—Amber Nigam, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Infusing the trenches with Allen and Hargrave should make for more havoc in one-on-one matchups.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for the trenches
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Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 June 2025
No matter the scheme, Wilks says everything the Jets will do defensively will start in the trenches.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 2 June 2025
As the cofounder of a health AI startup and someone who has spent a decade in healthcare and data science—from the halls of Harvard to the trenches of health plan operations—I’ve seen the real trenches and the real hype.
—Amber Nigam, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Infusing the trenches with Allen and Hargrave should make for more havoc in one-on-one matchups.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for the trenches
Cite this Entry
“The trenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20trenches. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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