human shield
Americannoun
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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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.