trench warfare

noun

: warfare in which the opposing forces attack and counterattack from a relatively permanent system of trenches protected by barbed-wire entanglements

Examples of trench warfare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This fight will likely spill into the 2028 election cycle and beyond — in other words, perpetual political trench warfare. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025 Wednesday's combat exercises in Romania saw live-fire training and trench warfare drills. Steven Lemongello, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025 Stories of haughty people scheming and plucky servants improving alarm clocks attract smaller audiences than, say, trench warfare. Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025 The use of drones in European and Middle Eastern theaters is enabling even closer-range conflict: mines, trench warfare, and civilian targeting. Jacquelyn Schneider, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for trench warfare

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trench warfare was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Trench warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trench%20warfare. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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