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
Through the shock troops of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the president indiscriminately fired federal employees, shut down entire departments created by Congress, and canceled billions of dollars in federal contracts and grants allocated by law.
—
Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for shock troops
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Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
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
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 31 Dec. 2025.
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