as in soldiers
the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation
the troops overseas are grateful for the support of so many at home
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Recent Examples of troops
Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
About 10 years ago, owner Rob Metz decided the plant tours for birthday parties and scouting troops should be more than just watching the process and getting a soda to drink.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Israeli ground troops have razed residential buildings while airstrikes have hit multiple bridges severing vital routes between southern Lebanon and the north.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
As ground troops, including Marines and paratroopers, move to the region, speculation has swirled about seizing Kharg island, home to Iran’s main oil terminals.
—Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
The goal is to force the Russian military to reallocate troops to different areas to respond to attacks, just as the Russians have tried to pull Ukrainian defenses in different directions.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
The president didn’t say one way or the other, although troops are now positioned in the region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
American officials are now weighing adding about 10,000 more troops to the Middle East as some speculate a ground invasion could be coming.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base Friday, injuring at least 15 troops, five of them seriously.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
Hezbollah resumed firing rockets from Lebanon into Israel, and Israel has sent troops into Lebanon, urging residents of whole neighborhoods of Beirut to evacuate.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
About 10 years ago, owner Rob Metz decided the plant tours for birthday parties and scouting troops should be more than just watching the process and getting a soda to drink.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Israeli ground troops have razed residential buildings while airstrikes have hit multiple bridges severing vital routes between southern Lebanon and the north.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
As ground troops, including Marines and paratroopers, move to the region, speculation has swirled about seizing Kharg island, home to Iran’s main oil terminals.
—Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
The goal is to force the Russian military to reallocate troops to different areas to respond to attacks, just as the Russians have tried to pull Ukrainian defenses in different directions.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
The president didn’t say one way or the other, although troops are now positioned in the region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
American officials are now weighing adding about 10,000 more troops to the Middle East as some speculate a ground invasion could be coming.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base Friday, injuring at least 15 troops, five of them seriously.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troops
Noun
-
Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, supreme commander of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s second in command, and the highest-ranking surviving Nazi leader, steps out of the car, stands at attention to announce his surrender, and orders the soldiers to carry his bags.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While the mood was generally sunny and marches largely peaceful, the third No Kings protests were an unmistakable display of political force that could reverberate in the 2026 midterms and beyond.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Over the last several years, protesters have walked onto the 101 Freeway during demonstrations, including the George Floyd marches in 2020, pro-Palestinian rallies in 2024 and most recently, anti-ICE protests throughout 2025.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chalker told me that his consulting firm, Global Risk Advisors, had once employed nearly two hundred people, almost all of them former military and intelligence officers.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
What this entailed was gaining as much reliable information about the Soviet military as possible while stumping for an open skies policy that would allow overflights by both sides of the other's territory to prevent accidental war.—
David Szondy
March 29,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But perhaps no rock god ever went full Heathcliff the way Cliff Richard did for this 1996 musical, a stage production (with songs by John Farrar and Tim Rice) that re-creates scenes from the novel while Richard, as Heathcliff, strides through like a lordly narrator-protagonist.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Out with a potential love interest one evening, in a packed Manhattan comedy club, Tess is startled when Alex strides up to the microphone.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Her ex-husband parades their six-year-old daughter, Sofia, in front of the cameras and demands full custody.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Sydney Sweeney parades through the streets of Los Angeles in lingerie for her latest Syrn promo.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The moody Moon paces into your busy 3rd house, energizing your ability to handle quick stops and urgent tasks.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Tage Thompson, the son of former Ducks assistant coach Rocky Thompson and an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, paces the Sabres in scoring.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Adding the killer’s voice just pads an already too-long book.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Not to say there aren’t some clunkers, most notably a jokey take-me-out-to-the-ballgame baseball number that pads the second act, but the Flaherty-Ahrens score was and is Ragtime‘s signature achievement.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Troops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troops. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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