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
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.
The pass rush is still a big question, while on the other side of the trenches, left guard is a four-man battle of not very exciting options. — The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 So, too, is winning the battles in the trenches to support a productive running game. — Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026 This columnist’s three years in the trenches were the toughest yet most enlightening three years of my career. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Physical in the trenches, McFarlane brings an edge that should continue to make Crespi physically imposing. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the trenches

Rhymes for the trenches

See All Rhymes for the trenches

Browse Nearby Words

the Treasury Department
the trenches
the Trinity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The trenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20trenches. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All