Thesaurus results for STANDING ARMY

standing army

noun

Definition of standing army

as in national guard

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of standing army Within days, President Abraham Lincoln called on states loyal to the Union to send troops to bolster a standing army of only 16,000 and put down the South's growing rebellion. — Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026 How a country founded in fear of a standing army came to think of its military as a bulwark of American democracy is the subject of my work. — Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026 There was no standing army, so Congress had to raise and fund one. — Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026 Environmental concerns have held a central place in Costa Rica’s identity for years, much like its lack of a standing army, and the country has set ambitious sustainability goals. — Djenane Villanueva, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standing army

Recent Examples of Synonyms for standing army

Noun

The operation began on Sunday along the border between Tamaulipas state and Texas, with 500 Mexican army and national guard personnel deployed with the support of helicopters, drones and anti-drone equipment, according to Mexico’s defense ministry.

— Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Since the staging area for firefighters, utility workers, national guard, and police was next to our house, for the next few days firefighters were able to put out flare-ups in and around our backyard.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of national guard

Noun

Meanwhile, questions loom around the future of the Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought to disarm, with little success so far.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Middle East Iranian officials and pundits laud the militia group’s gains as their own.

— Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of militia

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standing armies

standing army

standing by

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“Standing army.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standing%20army. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of standing army

noun

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