assault rifle

noun

Definition of assault rifle

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

In the wake of the Christchurch massacre in March this year, New Zealand followed Australia in banning assault rifles and introducing strict new gun laws. — James Griffiths, CNN, "Australia reels from worst rampage killing in decades for a country thought to have solved this issue," 5 June 2019 Hochevar gave people the chance to hold what may be the assault rifle of the future. — Sabrina Schnur, BostonGlobe.com, "US Army researchers in Natick display new technology at the State House," 19 June 2019 In Australia in 1996, 35 people were killed when a gunman opened fire with two semiautomatic assault rifles. — Chris Murphy, Time, "Our Republican Colleagues in the Senate Must Act to Break the Cycle of Gun Deaths," 14 June 2019 Some assault rifles, automatic weapons and semi-automatic firearms are banned by the state. — Phil Diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Protesters to return with weekend gun show," 13 July 2018 The company has developed a full line of military firearms, from the B&T Universal Service Weapon to full-sized assault rifles in .308 Winchester. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Selects New Submachine Gun," 2 Apr. 2019 Proud to be from a country that can quickly recognize the right thing to do (ban assault rifles), and just do it. — Zac Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "New Zealand Banned Guns After Thoughts and Prayers. Why Can’t America?," 23 Mar. 2019 Quoting from those records, a foster parent of one of the 11 children stated the defendant had trained a child in the use of an assault rifle in preparation for a future school shooting. — Fox News, "Spoiler alert: Moderates beat back progressives in primaries," 9 Aug. 2018 In Florida, Democratic candidate and former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine has run ads calling for stronger background checks on gun buyers and a permanent ban on assault rifles in the wake of the Parkland shooting. — Erin Kelly, USA TODAY, "Exclusive: Advertising surges past $132 million in governors' races this year," 10 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assault rifle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for assault rifle

assault rifle

noun

English Language Learners Definition of assault rifle

: a gun that can shoot many bullets quickly and that is designed for use by the military

See the full definition for assault rifle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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