bolt-action

adjective

bolt-ac·​tion ˈbōlt-ˈak-shən How to pronounce bolt-action (audio)
of a firearm
: loaded by means of a manually operated bolt

Examples of bolt-action 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.
The switchgear has been reengineered with horological precision, from luminous-infill toggles that capture daylight and glow softly at night to a parking brake lever that feels like a bolt-action rifle. New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2025 The jury saw photographs of firearms agents seized from Combs' home, including a bolt-action Ruger rifle, Smith & Wesson M&P AR15-style semi-automatic rifles, a Glock pistol and a Mossberg pump-action shotgun. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 June 2025 Gunsite owner Buz Mills added combat tactics with AR-15 and bolt-action rifles. William La Jeunesse, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025 Most of his kills came slowly, a single shot from his bolt-action M40 after hours of waiting. Clay Risen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The two could hear the bolt-action rifle and the sizzling sound of lead ripping through the air. Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023 Fritz accomplished this goal by combining benchrest bolt-action rifle technology with a rifled shotgun barrel. Tony Hansen, Outdoor Life, 22 June 2023 During a search in April of the Dighton home Teixeira shared with his mother and stepfather, FBI agents found a gun locker about two feet from his bed containing handguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, an AK-style high-capacity weapon, and a gas mask, according to court filings. Shelley Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bolt-action was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bolt-action.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolt-action. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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