line of duty
noun phrase
: all that is authorized, required, or normally associated with some field of responsibility
Examples of line of duty in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ceremony honors Maryland police, firefighters, corrections officers, and emergency personnel who have died in the line of duty.
—
Janay Reece, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Many of those heroes who died in the line of duty were members of law enforcement in Florida.
—Kenneth D. Robinson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Ma supports the death penalty for those who kill police officers in the line of duty or commit heinous crimes against women and children.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
To see their colleagues get shot and killed in the line of duty.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
At the time, Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
One police officer was killed in the line of duty and another was critically injured in a shooting at a Chicago hospital by a suspect who was brought in to the emergency department, officials said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Smith went on to highlight the significance of the program after witnessing service dogs being stabbed or shot while in the line of duty.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
An election for Wyandotte County sheriff this November comes on the heels of a year fraught with hardships for the department, including a deputy’s line of duty death and a jail worker charged with murder after an inmate died at the county detention center.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
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Janay Reece, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Many of those heroes who died in the line of duty were members of law enforcement in Florida.
—Kenneth D. Robinson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Ma supports the death penalty for those who kill police officers in the line of duty or commit heinous crimes against women and children.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
To see their colleagues get shot and killed in the line of duty.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
At the time, Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
One police officer was killed in the line of duty and another was critically injured in a shooting at a Chicago hospital by a suspect who was brought in to the emergency department, officials said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Smith went on to highlight the significance of the program after witnessing service dogs being stabbed or shot while in the line of duty.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
An election for Wyandotte County sheriff this November comes on the heels of a year fraught with hardships for the department, including a deputy’s line of duty death and a jail worker charged with murder after an inmate died at the county detention center.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Line of duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20of%20duty. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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