the trenches

plural noun

: a place or situation in which people do very difficult work

These people are working every day down in the trenches to improve the lives of refugees.

Examples of the trenches in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 49ers have a major hole at left guard, and on the other side of the trenches, their pass rush seems suspect. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Thomas, the former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle famous for playing an NFL-record 10,363 consecutive snaps, has traded the trenches for tractors and cattle at Hall of Fame Farms, his roughly 4,100-acre operation in Wisconsin. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

In an idea world, the Dolphins would be forceful in the trenches and own the line of scrimmage every Sunday. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026

The offensive and defensive lines mostly won the battle in the trenches in a matchup that was supposed to lean heavily toward Oregon. — Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for the trenches

• benches
• quenches
• wenches
• wrenches