Illustration of crossbow
: a weapon for shooting quarrels and stones that consists chiefly of a short bow mounted crosswise near the end of a stock
Examples of crossbow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In recent years, several New England states have changed laws to allow crossbows for deer hunting.
—
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The use of crossbow equipment is now allowed using the archery license.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 18 Dec. 2025
For the first time in a decade, hunters armed with rifles and crossbows are fanning out across Florida's swamps and flatwoods to legally hunt the Florida black bear, over the vocal opposition of critics.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
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Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
The use of crossbow equipment is now allowed using the archery license.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 18 Dec. 2025
For the first time in a decade, hunters armed with rifles and crossbows are fanning out across Florida's swamps and flatwoods to legally hunt the Florida black bear, over the vocal opposition of critics.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crossbow
Cite this Entry
“Crossbow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crossbow. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crossbow
noun
cross·bow
-ˌbō 
: a short bow mounted crosswise near the end of a wooden stock that shoots short arrows
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