Synonyms of arm

arm 1 of 3

noun (1)

as in gun

a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder

soldiers grabbing their arms and helmets and heading into battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gun
• firearm
• rifle
• pistol
• small arm
• handgun
• revolver
• shotgun
• piece
• musket
• heat
• derringer
• rod
• sidearm
• zip gun
• firelock
• carbine
• semiautomatic
• machine gun
• six-shooter
• blunderbuss
• gat
• harquebus
• culverin
• matchlock
• roscoe
• flintlock
• machine pistol
• smoothbore
• submachine gun
• six-gun
• repeater
• fieldpiece
• tommy gun
• assault rifle
• assault weapon
• breechloader
• automatic
• forty-five
• speargun
• self-loader
• AK-47
• twenty-two

arm

2 of 3

noun (2)

ˈärm 

1

as in department

a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization

a company that needs to beef up its marketing arm if it wants to compete in today's business world

Synonyms & Similar Words

• department
• agency
• office
• bureau
• desk
• service
• branch
• division
• subdepartment
• subdivision

2

as in bay

a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline

this arm of the Atlantic is surprisingly peaceful, as the stronger ocean currents do not reach this far

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bay
• estuary
• firth
• cove
• gulf
• loch
• port
• inlet
• bight
• creek
• fjord
• embayment
• harbor
• bayou
• strait
• sound
• narrow
• road(s)
• roadstead
• slough
• backwater

3

as in peninsula

an area of land that juts out into a body of water

Maine has so many long, narrow arms that jut out into the ocean that early coastal settlers found it much easier to travel by sea

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peninsula
• cape
• point
• spit
• ness
• promontory
• headland
• breakwater
• jetty
• foreland

4

as in power

the right or means to command or control others

few criminals manage to permanently escape the long arm of the law

Synonyms & Similar Words

• power
• control
• sway
• dominion
• reign
• grip
• command
• clutch
• authority
• jurisdiction
• sovereignty
• mastery
• influence
• hold
• death grip
• rein(s)
• leverage
• management
• voice
• dominance
• pull
• privilege
• clout
• right
• direction
• weight
• prerogative
• supremacy
• importance
• predominance
• imperium
• moment
• eminence

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• impotence
• powerlessness
• weakness
• helplessness
• impotency

arm

3 of 3

verb

as in to portion

Related Words

• portion
• fortify
• prepare
• hand out
• deal (out)
• allot
• allocate
• parcel (out)
• dole out
• mete (out)
• assign
• refit
• dispense
• distribute
• reequip
• donate
• prorate
• present
• rig
• apportion
• contribute
• supply
• provision
• stock
• store
• outfit
• refurnish
• bestow
• reoutfit
• equip
• give
• gird
• furnish
• kit (up or out)
• fit (out)
• accoutre

Dissimilar Words

• deprive
• strip
• divest
• dispossess

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of arm

Noun

The letter came nearly three weeks after more than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, to block arms sales to Israel, signaling a growing discontent in the party with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the wars in Gaza and Iran. —Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Her arms skimmed the periphery of her torso, as if protecting her chest, and her legs in the grand battements lacked conviction. —Literary Hub, 7 May 2026

Verb

Since verification is a very time-consuming and resource-intensive process, several authors have identified alternative ways in which journalists can arm themselves against attacks on their objectivity without having to investigate every last detail of information. —Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026

Even without a hit, the Gwinnett Stripers still found a way to win, and got a strong outing from a key Atlanta Braves arm in the process. —Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Phrases Containing arm

• shot in the arm
• small arm
• twist one's arm