trench warfare

American  

noun

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

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trench warfare British  

noun

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

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trench warfare Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of trench warfare

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

His contention that bombing industrial centers would lead to a speedy victory was seen by many as a response to World War I, and the long slog of trench warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

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

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

The plans for calling up more soldiers to fight in grim trench warfare were something nobody in Ukraine’s military or civilian leadership wanted to be associated with.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

Mr. Zelensky’s frustrations with Mr. Zaluzhny have grown over the past year, as the fighting has bogged down in bloody, static trench warfare.

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2024

Under the stress of trench warfare, some soldiers seemed to suffer nervous breakdowns, a condition that became known as shell shock.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman