line of battle

American  

noun

Military, Navy.

1. a line formed by troops or ships for delivering or receiving an attack.

---

line of battle British  

noun

1. a formation adopted by a military or naval force when preparing for action

---

Example Sentences

Disguising herself as a man, she begins military training and eventually makes her way to the front lines of battle in Afghanistan.

From New York Times

She begins military training and eventually makes her way to the front lines of battle in Afghanistan.

From New York Times

The group has also attacked areas far from the front lines of battle, including a November assault on the northern city of Kirkuk that took days to quell.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ranging in width from about 12 inches to 20 inches, the paintings depict scenes far behind the front lines of battle.

From New York Times

They said the troops were moving with Syrian rebel forces as they headed toward Raqqa, and that it’s possible they were closer to the front line of battle than they had been before.

From Washington Times