1
: a man armed with a gun
especially
: a professional killer
2
: a man noted for speed or skill in handling a gun
Examples of gunman in a Sentence
They were shot by an unknown gunman.
Recent Examples on the Web
The deadliest assault on a school occurred in 2014 when Taliban gunmen killed 154 people, mostly children, at an army-run school in Peshawar.
—
NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Hudson’s brother-in-law at the time, William Balfour, was the gunman and killed Hudson's mother, her brother Jason Hudson and her 7-year-old nephew Julian, the son of his estranged wife, Hudson's sister Julia.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
There is no evidence of an attacker at the University of Virginia after a gunman was reported near a library on campus, according to an emergency alert from campus police.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
In April, gunmen believed to be Muslim herders, killed at least 40 people, including children, in a predominantly Christian farming village, the Associated Press reported.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunman
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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NPR, 11 Nov. 2025
Hudson’s brother-in-law at the time, William Balfour, was the gunman and killed Hudson's mother, her brother Jason Hudson and her 7-year-old nephew Julian, the son of his estranged wife, Hudson's sister Julia.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
There is no evidence of an attacker at the University of Virginia after a gunman was reported near a library on campus, according to an emergency alert from campus police.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
In April, gunmen believed to be Muslim herders, killed at least 40 people, including children, in a predominantly Christian farming village, the Associated Press reported.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunman
Cite this Entry
“Gunman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunman. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gunman
noun
gun·man
-mən 
: a person armed with a gun
especially
: an armed criminal
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