trench warfare

• Form der Landkriegsführung, bei der sich die gegnerischen Armeen in befestigten Schützengräben gegenüberstehen und es zu langen, statischen Gefechten kommt, während die Truppen vor feindlichem Feuer geschützt sind.

A type of land warfare using occupied fighting lines largely comprising military trenches, where troops are protected from enemy fire and are often engaged in prolonged, static battles.

1. Military strategyB2formal

   A type of land warfare using occupied fighting lines largely comprising military trenches, where troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery.

   Grabenkrieg

   • Trench warfare became a defining feature of World War I.
   • Soldiers endured terrible conditions in trench warfare.
   • The stalemate on the Western Front was a result of trench warfare.

2. Metaphorical useC1informal

   A prolonged, bitter, and often unproductive conflict or debate, resembling the static and attritional nature of military trench warfare.

   Stellungskrieg (im übertragenen Sinn)

   • The political debate turned into trench warfare, with neither side willing to compromise.
   • The legal battle between the two companies has become trench warfare.
   • Office politics can sometimes feel like trench warfare.