rear guard
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of rear guard
1475–85; < Anglo-French reregard, Old French rereguarde
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.
The Church, in this narrative, was a rear guard, fighting a losing battle against the inevitable disenchantment of the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
"The approved rear guard repair eliminates the potential for entrapment near the rear roller of the treadmill," the safety regulator said in a statement.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2023
In private WhatsApp messages with a special adviser, he said he had to take "rear guard action" to ensure schools did not open, while the then-education secretary was battling to keep children in school.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2023
Boyd, the company spokesman, said it’s still tying to get the CPSC’s approval for a rear guard — a sign that the treadmill could return to market.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 5, 2023
“The rear guard are afraid of everything. The Germans know what they’re after.”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
