squad

squad — noun

1. a small team of individuals trained to cooperate closely on shared projects or t

1.nounB2
Definition

a small team of individuals trained to cooperate closely on shared projects or tasks

Example

A small squad of engineers spent six months designing the new railway bridge.

countable noun with singular verb + of + noun phrase

Ingrid joined the safety squad and was assigned to check the factory equipment each morning.

Common collocations
  • project squad
  • rescue squad
  • squad member
  • squad leader
  • work in a squad
  • join a squad
Synonyms
  • team

    more general and far more common than squad; used for any group that works together

  • crew

    often suggests a group doing physical or skilled work (a ship's crew, a film crew)

  • unit

    more formal and often implies a structural division within an organisation

Grammar Patterns

squad + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

In British English, squad can take either a singular or a plural verb (The squad is meeting vs The squad are meeting). In American English, a singular verb is preferred.

Common Mistakes

The squad of workers was disagree about the schedule.
The squad of workers disagreed about the schedule.
squad is a noun; use it with a correct verb form, not as a verb.

2. the full group of athletes at a club or in a national programme, from which the

2.nounB2
Definition

the full group of athletes at a club or in a national programme, from which the members of a playing team are selected to take part in a specific match or competition

Example

Quan was thrilled when the coach named him to the national basketball squad.

be named to + the + squad

The football squad brought twenty-two players to the tournament, though only eleven played each match.

Common collocations
  • first-team squad
  • national squad
  • match-day squad
  • squad rotation
  • make the squad
  • squad selection
Synonyms
  • team

    can overlap with squad but usually means the players on the field; squad = the wider roster

  • roster

    a list of players rather than the group itself; more administrative in tone

  • side

    British English; often interchangeable with 'team' for the playing eleven

Grammar Patterns

make + the + squad

be named to + the + squad

national + squad

Usage Note

Squad in sports refers to the wider group of available players, not just the eleven (or five, etc.) who start a game. Making the squad means becoming part of that group, while being selected for the match-day squad means you are chosen to play in a particular game.

Common Mistakes

The squad played the game with only ten men on the field.
The team played the game with only ten men on the field.
the players actually on the field are the team; the squad is the larger group they were chosen from.

3. a basic military unit made up of a small number of soldiers who train, drill, or

3.nounB2
Definition

a basic military unit made up of a small number of soldiers who train, drill, or carry out specific tasks under a leader

Example

Sergeant Kabir ordered his squad to assemble at the parade ground before sunrise.

military context: sergeant + his squad

Each infantry squad in the battalion has one leader and about eight soldiers.

Common collocations
  • rifle squad
  • infantry squad
  • squad leader
  • squad drill
  • squad formation
Synonyms
  • platoon

    a larger military unit, usually made up of two or more squads

  • section

    used in some Commonwealth armies instead of squad, with a similar size

  • troop

    historically cavalry; now used for some specialised units

Grammar Patterns

squad + of + number + soldiers

Usage Note

In most modern armies, a squad is the smallest tactical unit, typically consisting of 8–14 soldiers and led by a sergeant or corporal. It is smaller than a platoon.

4. a division inside a law-enforcement agency that focuses on a specific kind of cr

4.nounB2
Definition

a division inside a law-enforcement agency that focuses on a specific kind of crime, such as drugs, fraud, or dealing with explosives

Example

The bomb squad arrived at the shopping centre and cleared everyone out of the building.

bomb squad — the most common compound with this sense

Kofi works for the drug squad and spends most of his time on undercover operations.

Common collocations
  • bomb squad
  • drug squad
  • fraud squad
  • vice squad
  • squad car
  • squad room
  • squad detective
Synonyms
  • task force

    often temporary, formed for a specific operation rather than a standing unit

  • unit

    broader term; can refer to any police subdivision, not necessarily crime-specific

Grammar Patterns

[crime type] + squad

squad + of + police officers

Usage Note

This sense is most often found in compounds such as bomb squad, drug squad, fraud squad, or vice squad. The first word names the type of crime the unit handles.

Common Mistakes

The bomb squad take care of all dangerous packages in the city.
The bomb squad handles all dangerous packages in the city.
in American English, use a singular verb; British English allows either.
Idioms

cheerleading squad

idiom

a group of people who perform organised cheers, dances, and stunts to support a sports team

Lucas tried out for the cheerleading squad and was thrilled when he made the team.

The cheerleading squad practised their routine for weeks before the big game.

the A-team / the first squad

idiom

the best or most experienced group of people available for a task

When the server broke down, the manager called in the first squad to fix it.

squad — verb

Word family

  • squadron
    nounC1
  • squaddie
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Team is by far the most general of these words — it covers any group working together, from a sports team to an office team, and feels neutral and everyday. Squad is more specific: it suggests that the group has been formally organised, often with training or a defined role (a rescue squad, a bomb squad). Crew implies a group doing physical or skilled manual work and often has a sense of shared identity and routine (a film crew, a construction crew). Gang shares the idea of a group working together but carries strong informal or negative overtones — a street gang or a gang of thieves — though it can be neutral in phrases like a gang of labourers. Unit is the most formal and structural, suggesting a recognised subdivision within a larger organisation (a military unit, a research unit). In everyday conversation, use team for general cooperation, squad for a trained task-force, crew for hands-on work, and gang carefully due to its associations.

teamcrewgangunit

Common collocations

Nouns

  • squad member
  • squad leader
  • squad car
  • squad room
  • squad rotation
  • squad selection
  • squad drill

Phrases

  • make the squad
  • be named to the squad
  • be left out of the squad
  • join a squad
  • form a squad
  • lead a squad

Prepositions

  • in a squad
  • into squads
  • of + number + soldiers/people + squad

Etymology

Vulgar LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Squad entered English in the 16th century from French esquade, which came from Italian squadra (a square formation of soldiers). The Italian word squadra goes back to Vulgar Latin exquadra, meaning 'something made square' — related to the idea of soldiers lined up in a square formation. The military meaning was the original one in English. By the 19th century, squad had broadened to refer to any small organised working group, and by the early 20th century it was being used for sports teams and police units.