assault rifle

noun

|Updated on: 20 Jul 2018

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

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Recent Examples of assault rifle from the Web

Fernandez was booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and illegally possessing an assault rifle and large-capacity magazines.

— Fox News, "More than 500 guns seized from Southern California homes," 19 June 2018
The white car returned and those inside used two assault rifles and a handgun to shoot up the house.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'Her blood is on your hands': Judge gives 35 years to 1 of 3 men in killing of 9-year-old Za'Layia Jenkins," 15 June 2018
For Our Lives is asking lawmakers to introduce universal, comprehensive background checks, ban semiautomatic assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines and tighten laws to ensure that guns are stored securely when not in use.

— jenny jarvie, latimes.com, "With school out, Parkland students plan the next stage in their gun control campaign," 4 June 2018
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and former Congresswoman Gwen Graham want to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, require background checks for all gun purchases and take away guns from those accused of domestic violence.

— kathryn varn, miamiherald, "Democratic candidate for Florida governor wants to tax bullets to fund school safety," 1 June 2018
Gun control advocates around the country have long pressed for expanded background checks and a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, but such measures would probably have had no effect on the Santa Fe High shooting.

— CBS News, "Texas school shooting unlikely to bring gun restrictions in state that embraces gun culture," 22 May 2018
Alabama is ready for gun restrictions, Sen. Doug Jones says Alabamians are ready for restrictions on guns, including background checks and raising the age to buy assault rifles to 21, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala.

— hanna krueger, NOLA.com, "Pentagon IG finds Army mishandled adoptions of bomb-sniffing dogs: report," 4 Mar. 2018
Alabamians are ready for restrictions on guns, including background checks and raising the age to buy assault rifles to 21, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala.

— howard koplowitz, AL.com, "Doug Jones says Alabama is ready for gun restrictions," 3 Mar. 2018
Two or three men armed with assault rifles hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to fly to Faid's prison in Seine-et-Marne.

— ashley may, USA TODAY, "Notorious gangster Redoine Faid escapes French prison, again, on hijacked helicopter," 2 July 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.