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firing squad
noun
1
: a detachment detailed to fire volleys over the grave of one buried with military honors
2
: a detachment detailed to carry out a sentence of death by shooting
Examples of firing squad in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President Gerald Ford's Republican Daughter Endorses Kamala Harris: 'America Cannot Regress'
On Oct. 31, while appearing at Tucker Carlson's Live Tour, Trump suggested that former Rep. Liz Cheney face a firing squad.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Dozens of top figures of the previous regime were captured, summarily tried, and executed by a firing squad, night after night, on the roof of a school where the leader of the revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had taken residence in central Tehran.
—Kasra Naji, Foreign Affairs, 17 Aug. 2016
It was then scheduled for 2022, when Moore was set to be killed by a firing squad, but his attorneys were able to delay it after challenging the constitutionality of the method.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
The Harris campaign was quick to portray the event likewise, with Harris senior adviser Ian Sams and other surrogates suggesting Trump was calling for Cheney to face a firing squad.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near firing squad
Cite this Entry
“Firing squad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firing%20squad. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
firing squad
noun
fir·ing squad
ˈfī(ə)r-iŋ-
1
: a military unit assigned to fire shots over the grave of one buried with military honors
2
: a military unit assigned to carry out a sentence of death by shooting
More from Merriam-Webster on firing squad
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for firing squad
Britannica English: Translation of firing squad for Arabic Speakers
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