missing in action

adjective

: missing and unable to be confirmed as captured or killed following military action

a soldier who was declared missing in action

The 1st Cavalry Division casualties in Operation PERSHING totalled 852 troopers killed in action, 22 missing in action, 286 killed in noncombat circumstances …

—Shelby L. Stanton

—often used figuratively for someone or something notably or unexpectedly missing, absent, or inactive

Most readers expect an encyclopedia to give the judgment of scholars—a group largely missing in action here.

—Julia Vitullo-Martin

The movie itself has just resurfaced after having been missing in action for some time.

—Video Review

But lots of hair had turned gray (my own included); lots more was missing in action.

—Joseph Epstein

Examples of missing in action in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told France TV on February 4 that at least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action since the start of the war, with significant numbers who are missing in action. — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

The United States is missing in action again The United States — the world’s second-largest polluter after China — is again absent from the summit. — Suzan Fraser, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026

The other player missing in action is DePaul transfer CJ Gunn. — Pj Green november 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

Key Cowboys missing in action The lopsided result came despite Oklahoma State missing a few key pieces. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for missing in action

• dissatisfaction
• overreaction
• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction