Illustration of blunderbuss
- blunderbuss 1
blunderbuss
noun
blun·der·buss
ˈblən-dər-ˌbəs 
1
: a muzzle-loading firearm with a short barrel and flaring muzzle to facilitate loading
2
: a blundering person
Synonyms
Examples of blunderbuss in a Sentence
leave it to that blunderbuss to bungle a job that a child could do
Recent Examples on the Web
The State Department, in its blunderbuss way, wanted to open up a kind of détente with the citizens of Communist Eastern Europe.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
As a result, all polls (even those with glittering brand names) should be regarded as closer to a blunderbuss than a sharpshooter’s rifle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022
The Agojie’s divisions consisted of five branches: blunderbuss or artillery women, elephant hunters, musketeers, razor women, and archers.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
Cover Stories reporter Patrick O’Driscoll once tried to sell an idea on bear hunting by bursting into a meeting in a bear suit while a reporter with a toy blunderbuss chased him around the conference table.
—USA Today, 14 Sep. 2022
Adding a novel tariff blunderbuss is not likely to make the situation better.
—Timothy Fitzgerald, National Review, 22 Apr. 2021
This would turn antitrust law into a blunderbuss aimed by failing competitors against companies that do a better job of serving consumers.
—Robert H. Bork, National Review, 11 June 2021
Most of the fun lies in appreciating the blunderbuss incompetence of the team, whose errors result in innocent people’s heads getting sliced in two or their viscera getting exploded all over the scenery.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 4 Aug. 2021
Handicapping off-year congressional elections nearly 400 days in advance has proven about as accurate as an eighteenth-century blunderbuss.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 22 Oct. 2021
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Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
As a result, all polls (even those with glittering brand names) should be regarded as closer to a blunderbuss than a sharpshooter’s rifle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022
The Agojie’s divisions consisted of five branches: blunderbuss or artillery women, elephant hunters, musketeers, razor women, and archers.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
Cover Stories reporter Patrick O’Driscoll once tried to sell an idea on bear hunting by bursting into a meeting in a bear suit while a reporter with a toy blunderbuss chased him around the conference table.
—USA Today, 14 Sep. 2022
Adding a novel tariff blunderbuss is not likely to make the situation better.
—Timothy Fitzgerald, National Review, 22 Apr. 2021
This would turn antitrust law into a blunderbuss aimed by failing competitors against companies that do a better job of serving consumers.
—Robert H. Bork, National Review, 11 June 2021
Most of the fun lies in appreciating the blunderbuss incompetence of the team, whose errors result in innocent people’s heads getting sliced in two or their viscera getting exploded all over the scenery.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 4 Aug. 2021
Handicapping off-year congressional elections nearly 400 days in advance has proven about as accurate as an eighteenth-century blunderbuss.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 22 Oct. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blunderbuss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
by folk etymology from obsolete Dutch donderbus, from Dutch donder thunder + obsolete Dutch bus gun
First Known Use
1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Dictionary Entries Near blunderbuss
Cite this Entry
“Blunderbuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blunderbuss. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
blunderbuss
noun
blun·der·buss
ˈblən-dər-ˌbəs
: a muzzle-loader with a short barrel and cone-shaped muzzle to make loading easier
Etymology
derived from an obsolete Dutch word donderbus, literally, "thundergun"
More from Merriam-Webster on blunderbuss
Nglish: Translation of blunderbuss for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blunderbuss
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