line of duty

noun phrase

: all that is authorized, required, or normally associated with some field of responsibility

Examples of line of duty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Brandon was the first female CPD officer to die in the line of duty. Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 Corder was the sixth line of duty death of a Milwaukee police officer since 2018, and the 68th in the department's 169-year history. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026 For a line of duty death, it is also considered appropriate to stripe the badge on agency vehicles, which Beech Grove opted to do ahead of Elliott's procession to the funeral home on Feb. 18. Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026 Deputy Chief David Theriault died Jan. 15 following a battle with occupational cancer in a line of duty death, the department said in a release Friday. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2026 Can federal agents be prosecuted? State prosecutors can pursue charges against federal officials for actions conducted in their line of duty, Michael J.Z. Mannheimer, a constitutional law expert at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law, told CNN. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 9 Jan. 2026 There have been 314 officers shot in line of duty nationwide so far this year, according to the National Fraternal Order of Police. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2025 An election for Wyandotte County sheriff this November comes on the heels of a year fraught with hardships for the department, including a deputy’s line of duty death and a jail worker charged with murder after an inmate died at the county detention center. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025 In all, 65 officers have fallen in the line of duty this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page — including 37 killed by hostile gunfire or physical or vehicular assault. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of line of duty was circa 1918

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Cite this Entry

“Line of duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20of%20duty. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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