Synonyms

shock troops

American

plural noun

Military.

troops especially selected, trained, and equipped for engaging in assault.

shock troops British

plural noun

soldiers specially trained and equipped to carry out an assault

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shock troops

First recorded in 1915–20

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 United States Marines are the country’s elite shock troops and an expeditionary force that specializes in amphibious assaults.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2025

Stormtroopers wear Totenkopf skulls for helmets and borrow their name from Hitler’s shock troops.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2022

The action had involved "shock" troops, sappers and boat specialists, the Chinese military newspaper added.

From Reuters • Oct. 11, 2021

The uniform was almost identical to those of the Hlinka Guard, the fascist state’s shock troops.

From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2019

Rhino-mounted Bantu shock troops could have overthrown the Roman Empire.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023