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
Recent Examples on the Web
The incident comes one week after a man rammed his pickup truck into the front of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing four worshipers and injuring eight others.
—
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025
Eyewitnesses told authorities Sanford got out of his truck shooting at members with an assault rifle then set off an inferno as terrified members rushed to get everyone out of the building.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Police said Sanford rammed the church with his truck, got out and opened fire with an assault rifle.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Investigators said Thomas Sanford, 40, of Burton rammed his pickup truck into the church, jumped out and began firing an assault rifle at congregants.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault rifle
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.
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025
Eyewitnesses told authorities Sanford got out of his truck shooting at members with an assault rifle then set off an inferno as terrified members rushed to get everyone out of the building.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Police said Sanford rammed the church with his truck, got out and opened fire with an assault rifle.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
Investigators said Thomas Sanford, 40, of Burton rammed his pickup truck into the church, jumped out and began firing an assault rifle at congregants.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault rifle
Cite this Entry
“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share