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
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But there’s always next year, when an assuredly new-look Chargers team will try, try again – starting, hopefully, without all the injuries to the offensive linemen in the trenches on which so much of a team’s success is predicated.
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Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Establishing themselves in the trenches is the priority.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Former general manager and current executive vice president Ozzie Newsome always believed in building the team from the inside out, concluding that being strong and deep in the trenches was the best way to construct a winner.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Everything begins in the trenches for the best SEC teams.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
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Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Establishing themselves in the trenches is the priority.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Former general manager and current executive vice president Ozzie Newsome always believed in building the team from the inside out, concluding that being strong and deep in the trenches was the best way to construct a winner.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Everything begins in the trenches for the best SEC teams.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
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 15 Jan. 2026.
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