trenches

NOUN

ditch, channel dug in earth

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dike foxhole gorge gully moat pit trough waterway

STRONG

arroyo canal cut depression drain drill dugout earthwork entrenchment excavation fosse furrow gulch gutter hollow main rut sink tube

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.

Pretzel’s lore intensified amid the Siege of Vienna in 1529, when the Ottoman Empire attempted to capture the city by digging extensive lines of trenches.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

Residents have also pointed out that in much of Altadena, the telecom companies, including Spectrum and AT&T, have not agreed to bury their wires in Edison’s trenches.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

The building was exposed, its only defence hand-dug trenches.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

But that war was largely fought in trenches near the border.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

All along the Western Front, German armies worked at strengthening their positions, digging elaborate systems of trenches protected by barbed-wire entanglements and by batteries of machine guns and artillery.

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