1
: a man armed with a gun
especially
: a professional killer
2
: a man noted for speed or skill in handling a gun
Examples of gunman in a Sentence
They were shot by an unknown gunman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Both papers hurried to make the most of this dramatic event, no matter how little reporters actually knew about the identity of the gunman or his motives for shooting four people.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Police set up a perimeter to search for the gunman.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The gunman went by Grejo, Adi gathered after a while.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Even jihadist groups that have explored tactical alliances with these gunmen have been turned off by their purely criminal intent.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunman
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Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Police set up a perimeter to search for the gunman.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The gunman went by Grejo, Adi gathered after a while.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Even jihadist groups that have explored tactical alliances with these gunmen have been turned off by their purely criminal intent.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gunman
Cite this Entry
“Gunman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunman. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gunman
noun
gun·man
-mən 
: a person armed with a gun
especially
: an armed criminal
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