firing squad

noun

1

: a detachment detailed to fire volleys over the grave of one buried with military honors

2

: a detachment detailed to carry out a sentence of death by shooting

Examples of firing squad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Out of public sight The planned execution by firing squad is of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, who killed 13 people and wounded 32 in 2009. — Nate Perez, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026

Eight days later, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gleefully invited the nation to tune in, via live stream, for the death by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, scheduled for December 3rd. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Americans with a college education are split roughly evenly on whether Hasan should be executed by firing squad, but those without a college degree support it by a 55% to 37% margin. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Fifty-three percent of Americans support executing Hasan by firing squad, with 42% opposed. — Sig Christenson, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for firing squad

• amphipod
• arthropod
• copepod
• decapod
• endopod
• escalade
• esplanade
• exopod
• gastropod
• goldenrod
• isopod
• ostracod

Kids Definition

firing squad

noun

fir·​ing squad

ˈfī(ə)r-iŋ-

1

: a military unit assigned to fire shots over the grave of one buried with military honors

2

: a military unit assigned to carry out a sentence of death by shooting