shock troops

plural noun

Military.

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

shock troops

plural noun

1. soldiers specially trained and equipped to carry out an assault

Word History and Origins

Origin of shock troops¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The shock troops of DOGE, at the Social Security Administration and myriad other federal agencies, were the advance guard in perhaps the most dramatic transformation of the U.S. government since the New Deal.

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Contrary to what Stephen Miller and his xenophobic online shock troops may claim, that’s a pretty typical proportion for New York in historical terms, not a recent shift or, ahem, a great replacement.

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

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In the last few months, when Trump's masked federal immigration shock troops have shown up, they've inflamed local communities.

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Trump and his shock troops, led by Elon Musk, have barreled through the federal bureaucracy — abruptly freezing billions in already-allocated spending, urging thousands of civil servants to quit, and threatening to “delete” entire agencies.

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