trench warfare

noun

1. combat in which each side occupies a system of protective trenches.

trench warfare

noun

1. a type of warfare in which opposing armies face each other in entrenched positions

trench warfare

1. Warfare marked by slow wearing down of the opposing forces and piecemeal gains at heavy cost. The term applies especially to World War I.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trench warfare¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

As much as Newby’s triumphs reflect his own relentless crusade, they also reflect years of trench warfare by the conservative legal movement.

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The trench warfare has occasionally been interrupted by flashes of brilliance.

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It was fought over several days in September 1914 and halted the German's advance on Paris, but was followed by years of trench warfare.

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The funny thing is that until recently I had assumed that the contest was going to be political trench warfare again and the result would be very close.

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“Then all bets are off … It will be battling ballot-by-ballot, trench warfare.”

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