combat zone

noun

1. Military. an area in a theater of operations where combat forces operate, extending typically from the front line to the communications zone.
2. Slang. an area in some cities, usually in an older midtown section, where pornography stores, striptease bars, etc., flourish, or are tolerated because of being concentrated in one district.

Word History and Origins

Origin of combat zone¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

But the residents of one town right in the combat zone have decided to stay.

From BBC

Anthony Kyles recalls: “We were building cities in active combat zones.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it troops were “continuing combat in the Jabalia area, while enabling the secure evacuation of civilians from the combat zone”.

From BBC

The IDF warned the public that north Gaza is "still considered a dangerous combat zone" and published a new map on Sunday showing zones for potential evacuation in the north.

From BBC

The staging by Cofield, associate artistic director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem, turns Troy into a modern urban combat zone.

From Los Angeles Times