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Entrench: meaning, example and synonyms

Entrenchv. To establish a practice or position so firmly that change is very difficult.

Flashcard for Entrench (verb): to establish a practice or position so firmly that change is very difficult. Example: Decades of favorable rulings had so entrenched the guild's privileges that reformers despaired of ever loosening its grip on the trade. Synonyms: establish, embed, ingrain, root. Antonyms: uproot, dislodge, eradicate, weaken. Memory tip: Dug into a trench: entrenched ideas are dug in deep. Illustration: an old oak tree with enormous roots gripping deep into the ground, a fully clothed gardener pulling hard on a rope tied to one root without budging it; no words drawn.

Example

Decades of favorable rulings had so entrenched the guild's privileges that reformers despaired of ever loosening its grip on the trade.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
establish, embed, ingrain, root
Antonyms
uproot, dislodge, eradicate, weaken
Memory tip
Dug into a trench: entrenched ideas are dug in deep.

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Check yourself: Entrench in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Each successive election victory further ______ the ruling party's control over regional offices, making a challenge from newcomers increasingly unlikely.

Question 2

Once a habit becomes ______ through years of daily repetition, breaking it requires far more than simple willpower.

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