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  • Special Forces
    Special Forces
    plural noun
    U.S. Army personnel trained to organize, instruct, supply, and supervise local forces engaged in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency operations, and to themselves conduct unconventional warfare.
  • special forces
    special forces
    plural noun
    élite, highly trained military forces, specially selected to work on difficult missions
Synonyms

Special Forces

American  

plural noun

  1. U.S. Army personnel trained to organize, instruct, supply, and supervise local forces engaged in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency operations, and to themselves conduct unconventional warfare.


special forces British  

plural noun

  1. élite, highly trained military forces, specially selected to work on difficult missions

"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

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.

U.S. special forces have been training Mexican military teams to repel attacks at stadiums.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Analysts say any similar attempt by US special forces to arrest Castro could meet stiff opposition in Cuba, particularly among government loyalists.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Israeli air force special forces, trained to carry out commando operations in enemy territory, were also present on the base, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Sergei, the special forces "spetsnaz" officer, said members of his unit did not wear an identification number or body cameras with Ukrainian prisoners of war.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

They waded through burning waters and debris and lumbered ashore like nightmarish special forces.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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