trench

noun \ ˈtrench \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of trench

1 a : a long cut in the ground : ditch; especially : one used for military defense often with the excavated dirt thrown up in front

b trenches plural : a place, position, or level at which an activity is carried on in a manner likened to trench warfare —often used in the phrase in the trenches

activists working in the trenches

2 : a long, narrow, and usually steep-sided depression in the ocean floor — compare trough

3 : trench coat

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Examples of trench in a Sentence

dug a trench and filled it with water in an attempt to keep the forest fire off her property

Recent Examples of trench from the Web

Tinashe has been in the trenches as a working artist for a decade.

— raisa bruner, Time, "R&B Triple Threat Tinashe Hits Her Stride on New Album Joyride," 5 Apr. 2018
The conflict between craft brewers and the multinationals has become a fight in the trenches.

— robert glennon, WSJ, "‘Craft’ Beer Turns Out to Be a Big Business," 1 Apr. 2018
One defender who has been in the trenches all along is Jimmy Van Bramer, who went from begging for funds as a Queens Library executive to handing them out as city councilmember and libraries-committee chair.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "How Can It Take 15 Years and $32 Million to Build a Neighborhood Library?," 29 Mar. 2018
Thank you to my team and the people in the trenches helping make this happen.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "ACM Awards Just Announced the New Artist Winners Early—and You Have to See Their Reactions!," 26 Mar. 2018
The German soldiers forced him and other teens to dig trenches.

— jacques kelly, baltimoresun.com, "Andre De Bels, missionary and Cardinal Gibbons teacher, dies," 8 Mar. 2018
The movie is a nonstop fashion feast, from the opening in front of Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue to that perfect tan trench in the movie's final scene.

— lauren alexis fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "The '60s Films That Every Fashion Girl Should Watch," 27 Jan. 2015
Orders come from above: Stanfield needs to organize a mission in broad daylight to broach the German trench, nab a soldier, bring him back and get information from him.

— bill goodykoontz, azcentral, "World War I drama 'Journey's End' offers timely, timeless message," 29 Mar. 2018
Since the drama’s focus is primarily on the officers and not on the soldiers shivering in the trenches, the class divisions in the military arise naturally from the material without the need for a lot of editorializing.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Journey's End' shows horror of war, spirit that transcends it," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of trench

Middle English trenche track cut through a wood, from Anglo-French, act of cutting, ditch, from trencher, trenchier to cut, probably from Vulgar Latin *trinicare to cut in three, from Latin trini three each — more at trine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year