1
as in firearm
a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder
while her father preferred hunting with a crossbow, she preferred a gun
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to shoot
to strike with a missile from a gun
traded stories of the Wild West, when outlaws gunned men down in broad daylight and in cold blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gun
Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
While not a direct representation of gun sales, the data is pulled from NICS background checks, required for gun owners in the state, and adjusted to more closely estimate gun sales.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The crew of Artemis II, gunning for a launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, features what would be the first Black man, first woman and first person from a country other than the United States to ever fly past low-Earth orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gun
Noun
The shooting comes as the NYPD fights teen gun violence.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
While not a direct representation of gun sales, the data is pulled from NICS background checks, required for gun owners in the state, and adjusted to more closely estimate gun sales.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
However, the Philadelphia Flyers (88 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (88) are gunning for that third and final divisional spot in the few games remaining.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The crew of Artemis II, gunning for a launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, features what would be the first Black man, first woman and first person from a country other than the United States to ever fly past low-Earth orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun
Noun
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Allen will be arraigned Monday on charges, including assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a federal officer.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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The suspect in the attack is being charged with two counts of using a firearm and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, according to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, who did not name him publicly.—
Alayna Treene,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Residents described artillery fire before soldiers stormed the town in armored vehicles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The massive site near De Soto was once home to a factory that produced gunpowder for artillery shells in World War II and rocket propellants during the Vietnam War.—
Hannah Wise,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of the victims, age 35, was shot in the right leg, while the other, a 30-year-old, was struck in the abdomen, cops said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Also, the Spurs are due for shooting regression from deep, whereas the Blazers have gotten unlucky from 3-point range.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One young man, his shirt off and loosely draped around his neck along with a Santa Muerte necklace, sports tattoos of a Kalashnikov rifle and a flaming skull, regarding the camera with bedroom eyes.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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An officer at the scene saw a black rifle, and live and spent rifle and pistol ammunition, the affidavit said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Amodei cited the concern that Anthropic technology would be used for fully autonomous lethal weapons whose decisions were made without human involvement — and the potential for AI to be used for mass domestic surveillance on an unprecedented scale.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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In addition to SBIs to defend against missile attacks, Golden Dome will include lower-altitude and ground-based munitions suited for eliminating drones and other smaller, slower-moving aerial weapons.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then Toluca goalkeeper Luis García watched as Tillman drilled a running header just wide.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Dani Weatherholt drilled a shot past Casey Murphy in the 53rd minute and then Ashley Sanchez evened up the game in the 76th minute.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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