shock troops
plural noun
1
: troops especially suited and chosen for offensive work because of their high morale, training, and discipline
2
: a group of people militant in pressing for a cause
Examples of shock troops in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the past does indeed come knocking on Bob’s door, flushing him out of his home with shock troops and smoke grenades, Bob is forced to violently recalibrate his relationship to the present.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025
Is this the leader of a corps of shock troops reinventing government, or a clumsy effort by a famous businessman?
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Shackles, shock troops, windowless cells: How bad is Trump's favorite Salvadoran prison?
—Jeff Mason, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
The reason why there were so many casualties despite a small number of battles is because North Korean soldiers were deployed as frontline shock troops in an unfamiliar open field and lack abilities to respond to drones, Lee said.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shock troops
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David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025
Is this the leader of a corps of shock troops reinventing government, or a clumsy effort by a famous businessman?
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Shackles, shock troops, windowless cells: How bad is Trump's favorite Salvadoran prison?
—Jeff Mason, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
The reason why there were so many casualties despite a small number of battles is because North Korean soldiers were deployed as frontline shock troops in an unfamiliar open field and lack abilities to respond to drones, Lee said.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shock troops
Cite this Entry
“Shock troops.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shock%20troops. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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