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Synonyms

task force

American  

noun

  1. Navy, Military. a temporary grouping of units under one commander, formed for the purpose of carrying out a specific operation or mission.

  2. a group or committee, usually of experts or specialists, formed for analyzing, investigating, or solving a specific problem.

task force British  

noun

  1. a temporary grouping of military units formed to undertake a specific mission

  2. any semipermanent organization set up to carry out a continuing task

"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 task force

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

In the aftermath, state regulators took crisis-proofing measures, establishing a financial-stability task force and subjecting life insurers to new stress-testing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

In 2022, with new leadership, Suffolk County Police created a task force to investigate the murders - bringing in federal and local law enforcement - which led them to Heuermann in six weeks.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

It said a task force involving the police, tourist board and aviation officials would "strengthen oversight and conduct regular audits", as well as to ensure guides and trekking agencies were licensed.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

To find their way into Cynthia’s unwieldy case at the start of the fall 2025 semester, Concannon and her teammates tackled the project much like a task force would, dividing it into sections.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

A task force of over two dozen Philadelphia police officers, Baltimore City and County police officers, and ATF and FBI officials flooded their uncle’s narrow three-story row house.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

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.