frontline
Where combat happens
Frontline refers to the forward edge of a military position—where opposing forces meet in combat.
By extension, frontline describes anyone working directly with a problem or population: frontline workers, frontline responders.
During the pandemic, frontline became near-synonymous with essential workers in healthcare, retail, and delivery.
As an adjective: frontline communities bear the brunt of pollution.
Also spelled front line or front-line.
Elongated ground excavations
- combatArmed hostile engagement
- soldiersMilitary personnel who fight
- warzoneArea of active fighting
- battalionMid-sized military unit
infantry · artillery · platoon · brigade · foxhole · entrenchment · battlefront · regiment
Emergency medical technicians
- firefightersEmergency personnel combating blazes
- first respondersPersonnel arriving at emergencies initially
- ambulanceEmergency medical transport
- rescueSave from harm
triage · crisis · disaster · relief · emergency · 911 · dispatch · rapid response
Medical care professionals
- doctorsLicensed medical practitioners
- hospitalMedical treatment facility
- clinicOutpatient treatment facility
- wardProtected person; division
intensive care · patient care · pandemic · epidemic · PPE · exhaustion · burnout · essential
Foremost position or group
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- breakthroughSudden important advance
groundbreaking · leading-edge · state-of-the-art · avant-garde · spearhead · trendsetting · visionary · revolutionary
State of being unprotected
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- contaminantsUnwelcome substances in something pure
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- chemicalsManufactured or isolated substances
protective gear · safety · occupational · risk · industrial · toxic · biohazard · decontamination
trenches
Elongated ground excavations
battalion · infantry · artillery · platoon · brigade · foxhole · entrenchment · battlefront · regiment · assault
paramedics
Emergency medical technicians
- firefightersEmergency personnel combating blazes
- first respondersPersonnel arriving at emergencies initially
- ambulanceEmergency medical transport
rescue · triage · crisis · disaster · relief · emergency · 911 · dispatch · rapid response · volunteers
nurses
Medical care professionals
- doctorsLicensed medical practitioners
- hospitalMedical treatment facility
- clinicOutpatient treatment facility
ward · intensive care · patient care · pandemic · epidemic · PPE · exhaustion · burnout · essential · shift
vanguard
Foremost position or group
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- trailblazingBeing the first through
breakthrough · groundbreaking · leading-edge · state-of-the-art · avant-garde · spearhead · trendsetting · visionary · revolutionary · pathbreaking
exposure
State of being unprotected
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
- contaminantsUnwelcome substances in something pure
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
chemicals · protective gear · safety · occupational · risk · industrial · toxic · biohazard · decontamination · asbestos
- pandemiclockdowns, COVID-19, outbreak, epidemic, COVID
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- Battlefrontscombat zone, war zone, warzone, theater of war, trenches
- photojournalismnews photo, press photo, documentary photo, photo essay, news photography
- WWI Western Fronttrenches, poison gas, artillery barrages, no man's land, offensives
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
frontlinerear
Back portion or raise
rear guard · rearguard · back line · home front · rear echelon
frontlinesecond-rate
Below acceptable standards
inferior · substandard · poor · low-grade · second-class
frontlinebehind-the-scenes
Hidden from public view
support staff · backroom · administrative · background · offstage