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
Relevance
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
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 gun
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
These court orders are one of the puzzle pieces of GVPI’s overall efforts to reduce gun violence.
—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Cruising along at 9-of-10, Maye gunned two more passes to Douglas and beat instant pressure with a slant completion to Brown.
—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gun
Noun
Earlier this month, Harden was arrested in Houston and charged with unlawfully carrying a gun in his car, a misdemeanor.
—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
These court orders are one of the puzzle pieces of GVPI’s overall efforts to reduce gun violence.
—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Verb
There is a special message to everyone in the community, and especially to gun owners who have children.
—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Cruising along at 9-of-10, Maye gunned two more passes to Douglas and beat instant pressure with a slant completion to Brown.
—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun
Noun
-
As the crowd passed through the neighborhood, the McCloskeys emerged from their home carrying firearms — Mark with an AR-15-style rifle and Patricia with a handgun.
-
While executing a search warrant in October 2024, law enforcement officers found 257 pounds of mushrooms and 18 pounds of growing material at a location in Fallbrook, as well as 25 pounds of mushrooms, 5 pounds of psilocybin capsules and six firearms at a location in Bonsall.
Noun
-
All day, interceptions overhead, explosions, drones, artillery.
-
And the Israeli army remains a few miles south, its presence marked by the occasional plume of smoke where its artillery hits, and the rip of machine-gun fire.
Verb
-
The man advanced toward police, and one officer shot the man, the KBI said.
-
Kaiseem Smith, 16, is also being sought by police in connection with the fatal shooting of Billy Schmidt, who was fatally shot near his South Philadelphia home on June 6.
Noun
-
Investigators said that the child was not injured after the bite, and the dog had already been separated and was back inside its home when Reyes Rodriguez armed himself with a rifle, entered the neighbor's home, shot the dog and killed it.
-
As the crowd passed through the neighborhood, the McCloskeys emerged from their home carrying firearms — Mark with an AR-15-style rifle and Patricia with a handgun.
Noun
-
The lawsuit also faulted organizers for not ensuring attendees did not have weapons, tear gas or bear spray, for allowing attendees to enter the festival from multiple unmonitored points and for not imposing security measures after problems at previous events.
-
Radiological weapons can be detected by a Geiger counter, while chemical weapons can usually be identified by reagents, electronic sensors, and special detection sheets sensitive to things like nerve agents.
Verb
-
Lo Celso scored on a free kick; Martinez drilled a penalty kick after Julian Alvarez was kicked in the face while attempting a header.
-
The Mets nearly answered against Wheeler in the bottom of the first, as Soto — with a runner on first base — drilled a 397-foot drive to right-center.
Cite this Entry
“Gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
