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human shield

American  

noun

  1. a person or group of people located or intentionally placed in a potential line of fire or in an area likely to be attacked.


Etymology

Origin of human shield

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

He’s a guy who earned a highly paid job by failing upward, knowing that his ultimate purpose is to be a human shield.

From Salon • May 29, 2023

Professors formed a human shield so students could flee.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2022

And some analysts think that in sacrificing him, Ms. Truss might have removed her human shield, making her a bigger target for her opponents.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022

When Roger Angell was in his 80s, I was proud to be his human shield in a spitball assault in which Roger pummeled a pompous pundit with paper wads in a Yankee Stadium press box.

From Washington Post • May 22, 2022

Kyle, Akimi, and Sierra formed a human shield to hide their Bibliomania box.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

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