boots on the ground
Americanidiom
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These weren’t combat troops, but they were a certain sort of boots on the ground.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
“I met him years ago, boots on the ground, in the streets making changes,” Crawford told the congregation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The president wanted all three: to enforce the free navigation of the sea, quickly, without deploying boots on the ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
For Aurora, the widening of the bombing campaign and the prospect of boots on the ground remain key risks to all of the market’s calmness and complacency.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Strong, tireless, and nearly as fast as if he’d had both boots on the ground.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
