the trenches

plural noun

: a place or situation in which people do very difficult work

These people are working every day down in the trenches to improve the lives of refugees.

Examples of the trenches in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Raiders aren’t going anywhere Kansas City will come away with some lessons from Sunday afternoon’s win, especially in the trenches. — Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

Yes, the rainy conditions and the injury to reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin helped TCU’s cause, but rain and injuries aren’t enough to explain how TCU was able to consistently outmatch BYU in the trenches. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026

They first were stopped at the checkpoint where the Fox crew had intended to film the trenches. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

The Bengals got dominated in the trenches, couldn’t cover a tight end, and did not have anyone in the same zip code as a Steelers receiver on the team's three passing touchdowns. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for the trenches

• benches
• quenches
• wenches
• wrenches