assault weapon

noun

Synonyms of assault weaponnext
: any of various automatic or semiautomatic firearms
especially : assault rifle

Examples of assault weapon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Lee had earlier been charged in the days after Bravo’s death with four counts of possession of an assault weapon, and a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued a month later. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 24 Dec. 2025 Patrick Gordon was arraigned in Salem District Court Tuesday on charges of possession of an incendiary device and possession of an unlicensed assault weapon. Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025 Advertisement The author at the Rhode Island State House for the passage of the assault weapons ban on June 21, 2025. Mia Tretta, Time, 18 Dec. 2025 The state has universal background checks, red-flag laws, an assault weapons ban, and high-capacity magazine limits. Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assault weapon

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assault weapon was in 1968

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assault weapon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20weapon. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on assault weapon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!