entrench
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr) to construct (a defensive position) by digging trenches around it
-
(tr) to fix or establish firmly, esp so as to prevent removal or change
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to trespass or encroach; infringe
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entrenchsimple
-
entrenchessimple
-
have entrenchedperfect
-
has entrenchedperfect
-
am entrenchingprogressive
-
are entrenchingprogressive
-
is entrenchingprogressive
-
have been entrenchingperfect progressive
-
has been entrenchingperfect progressive
Past
-
entrenchedsimple
-
had entrenchedperfect
-
was entrenchingprogressive
-
were entrenchingprogressive
-
had been entrenchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entrench
Explanation
To entrench is to secure something firmly. Entrench a tent pole in the ground so your tent doesn't fly away, or entrench yourself at your new job so you don’t get fired. Dig a little and see that entrench is from en meaning “in” and trench is from the Old French word trenche for "ditch,” just like the kind soldiers hide in. You don’t have to be a soldier to entrench, though — anytime a person or thing is securely inside something, it’s entrenched. If you entrench a swing set in your yard, it's solid. If a government entrenches a spy in another country, that spy blends right in.
Vocabulary lists containing entrench
This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Excerpt from "Self-Reliance"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from "Love and Math" (Excerpt) by Edward Frenkel
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
In Tehran, some ordinary Iranians feared a deal with the United States would entrench the authorities' rule.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
“If people see it as part of a broader pattern it is likely that inflation expectations will rise and that could entrench high inflation in the economy,” he warned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026
The Justice Department has been looking at whether Netflix’s planned Warner deal could entrench its market power or lead to a monopoly, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
"We didn't let the enemy entrench in the grey zone and we stopped their storm groups," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Grant had been criticized for not entrenching at Pittsburg Landing; Halleck, it seemed, was determined to entrench himself all the way from Pittsburg Landing to Corinth.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
Still, budget watchdogs argue that subsidies are too generous and the system disproportionately benefits large farms, which entrenches consolidation in agriculture.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
"This is an issue that further entrenches health inequalities with the most deprived children far more likely to be impacted than their richer peers," she added.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
The risk is a settlement that entrenches Iranian influence over Persian Gulf energy exports for years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
Southwest as yet another heat dome entrenches itself over the southern tier of the country and Mexico.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 11, 2023
In the last resort, his pessimism entrenches itself behind the psychological proposition that every satisfaction is negative, being only the removal of a pain.
From Schopenhauer by Whittaker, Thomas
But Vrticka says that change is gradual and professional support is likely to be needed for people with more entrenched attachment patterns.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Catholic church is deeply entrenched in Poland's national identity and the Virgin Mary is considered the country's patron and protector, even as it undergoes one of the fastest rates of secularisation worldwide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Brown decision was “a historic step forward” but it “just a beginning” in the fight against entrenched racial injustice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
For KB Financial Group’s Peter S. Kim, regulatory moves are unlikely to do much to dislodge Korea’s entrenched culture of fast-money investing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Although I thought Gwentshe was wrong for disregarding the executive, he was doing a good job and was so firmly entrenched that he could not easily be dislodged.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
As everyone waits to see how the bill fares in the Senate, below is a rundown of how a range of industries view proposals to “lock the clock” and “ditch the switch” by entrenching DST.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
They’re further entrenching themselves with their AI cloud customers, and growing their ad businesses, while Amazon also continues to see more mild growth of e-commerce sales.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
In a world where you can vibe-code software in minutes, Apple entrenching its market position as a maker of first-rate physical things makes sense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
The versatile defensive back was in the midst of a breakout season, entrenching himself as a starter despite joining the Chargers 10 days before their season opener in a trade with Tennessee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2024
With his entrenching tool, which weighed 5 pounds, he began digging a hole in the earth.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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.
