human shield

noun

: a person whose body is used as a protection from harm by someone else
The thief tried to use a hostage as a human shield hoping the police would not shoot.

Examples of human shield in a Sentence

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The crew were arranged around the center of the deck in a human shield. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 Lastly, to dull the war-mongering vigor of the Rivermen, Ormund installs small, scared little boys, ripped from their homes, all along the chemin de ronde — a baby human shield for Ser Daeron the Daring’s great army. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 An hour before The Breakaway goes live, the production crew forms a human shield across a noisy central London street so presenter Orla Chennaoui can record her opening link uninterrupted. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Judge Samuel Cappas sentenced a Chicago man this week to 25 years for allegedly using his baby as a human shield during an unrelated police standoff, according to a release. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for human shield

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Cite this Entry

“Human shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20shield. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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