entrench
verb
en·trench
in-ˈtrench 
en-
variants
or less commonly intrench
entrenched also intrenched; entrenching also intrenching; entrenches also intrenches
1
a
: to place within or surround with a trench especially for defense
b
: to place (oneself) in a strong defensive position
c
: to establish solidly
entrenched themselves in the business
2
: to cut into : furrow
specifically
: to erode downward so as to form a trench
1
: to dig or occupy a trench for defensive purposes
2
: to enter upon or take over something unfairly, improperly, or unlawfully : encroach
—used with on or upon
Synonyms
Examples of entrench in a Sentence
officials who have tried to entrench themselves in office
a father who entrenched in our minds the belief that hard work pays off
Recent Examples on the Web
The government’s reliance on Microsoft also entrenches a sense of familiarity with its products that cements its places in federal networks.
—
Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The proceedings, including the prospect that a pole dancer will defy a legion of election deniers and protests will erupt, will probably further entrench Trump’s supporters and opponents.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
And now the generative-AI boom, despite promises to bridge languages and cultures, may only further entrench the dominance of English in life on and off the web.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
At the turn of the century, the idea that poor posture posed a serious population-wide health threat became entrenched in American public and popular health culture, thanks in part to the then-burgeoning fields of evolutionary medicine and paleoanthropology.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
This didn’t last for long, but the streaming model that followed further entrenched a system where individual artists make very little from the digital distribution of their music.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The military said the damage to the emergency and surgery departments was so great because the gunmen had entrenched themselves inside those buildings, one of them inside an elevator shaft, forcing the Israeli commandos to fire repeatedly at their positions.
—Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Salesian ends its season 31-2, firmly entrenched among the pantheon of great units Mellis has coached in 26 years at the Richmond powerhouse.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024
Beyoncé’s hometown, Houston, is famous for its hip hop, but is obviously still entrenched in Southern traditions.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The proceedings, including the prospect that a pole dancer will defy a legion of election deniers and protests will erupt, will probably further entrench Trump’s supporters and opponents.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
And now the generative-AI boom, despite promises to bridge languages and cultures, may only further entrench the dominance of English in life on and off the web.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
At the turn of the century, the idea that poor posture posed a serious population-wide health threat became entrenched in American public and popular health culture, thanks in part to the then-burgeoning fields of evolutionary medicine and paleoanthropology.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
This didn’t last for long, but the streaming model that followed further entrenched a system where individual artists make very little from the digital distribution of their music.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The military said the damage to the emergency and surgery departments was so great because the gunmen had entrenched themselves inside those buildings, one of them inside an elevator shaft, forcing the Israeli commandos to fire repeatedly at their positions.
—Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Salesian ends its season 31-2, firmly entrenched among the pantheon of great units Mellis has coached in 26 years at the Richmond powerhouse.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024
Beyoncé’s hometown, Houston, is famous for its hip hop, but is obviously still entrenched in Southern traditions.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entrench.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near entrench
Cite this Entry
“Entrench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrench. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
entrench
verb
en·trench
in-ˈtrench
1
a
: to dig, place within, surround with, or occupy a trench especially for defense
b
: to establish solidly
2
: encroach sense 1
—used with on or upon
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share