as in shooting
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gunning
Now, everyone is gunning for Rick but scared of his idol.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
And The Rookie is nowhere near done, gunning for the shows that are ahead of it on the list.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
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
In the restaurants, especially SoNoMa, there is particular focus on responsibly local and environmentally friendly sourcing, with the team gunning to start a comprehensive composting system.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly gunning to go public in a historic trillion dollar IPO.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
The teaser also offers the first look at Robert Pattinson as Scytale, the shape-shifting antagonist gunning to take down Paul.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
And The Rookie is nowhere near done, gunning for the shows that are ahead of it on the list.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
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
In the restaurants, especially SoNoMa, there is particular focus on responsibly local and environmentally friendly sourcing, with the team gunning to start a comprehensive composting system.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly gunning to go public in a historic trillion dollar IPO.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
The teaser also offers the first look at Robert Pattinson as Scytale, the shape-shifting antagonist gunning to take down Paul.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
Verb
-
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
-
Cade Cunningham is shooting under 43% from the field and has a whopping 27 turnovers through four games.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of drilling blindly, mission planners could target locations where ice lies closest to the surface, providing a clearer picture of its depth and distribution.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
Open the new unit and mount it on the wall by drilling holes for the screws and anchors included in the package.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Death Cafes are popping up in churches, coffee shops and even historic cemeteries across the country.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
That podium is being replicated for one of the brand’s activations at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, one of the venues where the Champagne brand is also popping up, in addition to the Miami Beach Edition and Seaspice.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
