troop
gb/tɹˈup/ us/tɹˈup/
B1
English
~ 5700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Soldiers as a military force
Soldiers seen as one group, usually many soldiers together in an army or in a place.
Usage pattern:
to send [troops] to [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners often say *"a troop"* when they mean many soldiers, but in modern English *"troops"* is usually used in the plural to mean soldiers in general (e.g., *"They sent in the troops"*, not *"They sent in the troop"*). Another common mistake is confusing *"troop"* with *"troupe"*: *"troupe"* means a group of performers, not soldiers.
Synonyms
soldiers (General word for people serving in an army; does not always suggest large numbers the way “troops” often does.)
|
forces (Broader term that can include all parts of the military, not only the soldiers on the ground.)
Antonyms
civilians (Refers to people who are not members of the armed forces, the opposite of troops in a conflict area.)
Collocations
ground troops
|combat troops
|foreign troops
|send in troops
|withdraw troops
|troop deployment
Themes
war
|politics
|news
Examples
- The government decided to send more troops to the border.
- International troops are helping to keep the peace in the region.
- Troops were ordered to withdraw from the area by the end of the month.
- Local residents lined the streets to welcome the returning troops.
- All foreign troops are expected to leave the country next year.
Learner examples
- The country sent troops to the war.
- Many troops are staying near the city.
- They want the troops to come home.
- Foreign troops are helping the small country.
- The leader plans to pull the troops out.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Group of people or animals
A group of people or animals that are together and often move together.
Usage pattern:
a troop of [animals/people]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with *"troupe"*. *"Troop"* is used for animals or general groups; *"troupe"* is used for a group of performers. Also, this sense is usually used with *"of"* (e.g., *"a troop of monkeys"*), not alone.
Synonyms
group (Very general; does not suggest movement or acting together as strongly as “troop” often does.)
|
band (Suggests a small group that is often active together, sometimes in a lively or informal way.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single person or animal, the opposite of a group like a troop.)
Collocations
a troop of monkeys
|a troop of baboons
|a troop of dancers
|a troop of children
Themes
nature
|people
|animals
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A noisy troop of children ran through the park.
- We watched a troop of monkeys playing in the trees.
- A troop of dancers filled the stage during the final song.
- Every afternoon a small troop of dog walkers passes my window.
- A troop of tourists followed the guide up the hill.
Learner examples
- A troop of monkeys sat in the tree.
- A troop of children came into the room.
- We saw a troop of dancers on the stage.
- The troop of tourists moved to the bus.
- A troop of boys played in the street.
Verb
B2
action
3
Walk somewhere in a group
To go to or from a place by walking as a group.
Usage pattern:
[people] troop into [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"troop"* like *"travel"* or *"go"* without the idea of a group, for example *"I trooped to London"*. *"Troop"* as a verb almost always describes several people moving together.
Synonyms
file (Suggests people moving in a line; often more formal or descriptive than “troop.”)
|
march (Suggests a more formal, military, or rhythmic way of walking than “troop.”)
Antonyms
scatter (Means to move in different directions, breaking up the group, which is the opposite of trooping together.)
Collocations
troop in
|troop out
|troop back
|troop to the polls
|troop downstairs
Themes
movement
|people
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After the meeting, employees trooped back to their desks.
- The fans trooped into the stadium despite the rain.
- One by one, the students trooped out of the exam hall.
- We trooped up the hill to see the view.
- Reporters trooped into the press room to hear the announcement.
Learner examples
- The children trooped into the classroom.
- We trooped out of the cinema after the film.
- The players trooped back to the locker room.
- People trooped to the station in the morning.
- They trooped upstairs to go to bed.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Local Scout or youth unit
A local group of scouts, like a Boy Scout or Girl Scout group, that meets and does activities together.
Usage pattern:
a [Scout] troop in [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with *"group"* and say *"a scout group"* when they mean the official unit, which is normally called a *"Scout troop"* in many countries.
Synonyms
unit (A neutral term for an organized group inside a larger organization; does not carry the specific scouting association of “troop.”)
|
group (Very general; can describe people together but lacks the formal organization implied by “troop.”)
Collocations
Scout troop
|Boy Scout troop
|Girl Scout troop
|troop meeting
|troop leader
Themes
education
|youth
|relationships
Examples
- Her son joined a local Scout troop last year.
- The troop meets every Thursday evening at the community center.
- Our troop is planning a camping trip this summer.
- Each troop must raise its own money for activities.
- He has been the leader of the troop for ten years.
Learner examples
- My daughter is in a Scout troop.
- The troop meets once a week.
- Our troop went camping in the forest.
- The troop leader teaches us new skills.
- There are twenty children in the troop.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
5
Cavalry or armored military unit
In military language, a group of soldiers in cavalry or tanks, about the same size as what is called a company in other parts of the army.
Usage pattern:
a [cavalry] troop under [someone]
Synonyms
company (An infantry sub-unit of similar size; used in other branches, while “troop” is typical for cavalry or similar forces.)
Collocations
cavalry troop
|tank troop
|troop commander
|artillery troop
Themes
war
|military
|politics
Examples
- The cavalry troop moved ahead to scout the area.
- He was given command of a tank troop on the front line.
- Each troop reported its position to the battalion headquarters.
Learner examples
- The army has one tank troop and two infantry companies.
- He joined a cavalry troop after his training.
- The troop reported to the commander at dawn.
Grammar
Dictionary form
troop
IPA
GB/tɹˈup/
US/tɹˈup/
Syllables & stress
troop (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (troop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: troop
- Plural: troops
Verb
- Base: troop
- 3rd Person Singular: troops
- Present Participle: trooping
- Past: trooped
Word family
Forms
troops
noun
trooping
verb
trooped
verb
Core family
trooper
noun
Advanced or less common
paratrooper
noun C1
troopship
noun
Expressions
a troop of monkeys
9/ə tɹˈup əv mˈʌŋkiz/
fixed phrase
Group of monkeys together
A group of monkeys that stay or move together.
Examples
- We saw a troop of monkeys crossing the road.
- A troop of monkeys played in the trees near the camp.
combat troops
1/kˈɑmbæt tɹˈups/
fixed phrase
Soldiers who actively fight
Soldiers whose main job is to fight in battles, not to give support or do office work.
Examples
- Most combat troops will be withdrawn by the end of the year.
- The president promised not to send combat troops into the area.
ground troops
2/ɡɹˈaʊnd tɹˈups/
fixed phrase
Soldiers fighting on land
Soldiers who fight on the ground, not in planes or on ships.
Examples
- Air strikes were followed by the arrival of ground troops.
- The general refused to commit ground troops to the conflict.
send in the troops
3/sˈɛnd ˈɪn ðə tɹˈups/
fixed phrase
Deploy soldiers to a situation
To order soldiers to go into an area to control or change a situation, often using force.
Examples
- The government threatened to send in the troops if the violence continued.
- Some protesters feared that the leader would send in the troops to clear the streets.
troop back
6/tɹˈup bˈæk/
phrasal verb
Return somewhere in a group
To go back to a place by walking as a group.
Examples
- When the rain started, people trooped back inside.
- After lunch, we trooped back to the office.
troop in
4/tɹˈup ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
Enter a place in a group
To walk into a place as a group, often in a steady or ordered way.
Examples
- The students trooped in and took their seats.
- Guests trooped in as the doors opened for the concert.
troop out
5/tɹˈup ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Leave a place in a group
To walk out of a place as a group, often in a slow or ordered way.
Examples
- After the show, the audience trooped out of the theater.
- We all trooped out of the meeting room in silence.
troop to
7/tɹˈup tə/
phrasal verb
Go somewhere in large numbers
To go to a place in large numbers, often as a crowd.
Examples
- Thousands of fans trooped to the stadium for the final.
- Voters trooped to the polls early in the morning.
troop to the polls
8/tɹˈup tə ðə pˈoʊlz/
fixed phrase
Go in large numbers to vote
To go in large numbers to the place where people vote in an election.
Examples
- Citizens trooped to the polls despite the bad weather.
- Voters are expected to troop to the polls early tomorrow morning.