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

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Euphoria’s main characters hardly feature in the series finale at all—only Maddy is present, and she is used as a human shield, a literal object. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026

Patty was then taken hostage, with a video showing Abril using her as a human shield. — Conor McGill, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026

In Ocean Park, residents were forced to form a human shield to prevent federal agents from snatching workers at a construction site. — Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025

Richie tries to use the lawyer as a human shield, but Kevin and Harry shoot her and then shoot the old man. — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 1 June 2025

The theory that the Glazers were seeking a human shield against the brickbats is downplayed by some people familiar with the situation, who are quick to note the siblings’ thick skin. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 May 2025

Rhymes for human shield

• battlefield
• unconcealed
• unrepealed
• unrevealed
• afield
• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• brownfield
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed