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

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

From BBC

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.

From BBC

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.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

The effectiveness of machine guns as defensive weapons kept both sides from achieving a breakthrough and helped prolong the deadlock of trench warfare that immobilized the Western Front.

From Literature