assault rifle
noun
: any of various intermediate-range, magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47) that can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire
also
: a rifle that resembles a military assault rifle but is designed to allow only semiautomatic fire
Examples of assault rifle in a Sentence
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In the house at the center of the gunfight, investigators would find a .40 caliber pistol and an AR-15-style assault rifle, the same kind of gun at the center of the nation’s gun-rights debate.
—
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
The prosecution led by the Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office argued Kelly, armed with an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle, opened fire on two unarmed men.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assault rifle 
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
The prosecution led by the Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office argued Kelly, armed with an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle, opened fire on two unarmed men.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assault rifle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assault rifle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
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