gunpowder
noun
gun·pow·der
ˈgən-ˌpau̇-dər 
: an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur used in gunnery and blasting
broadly
: any of various powders used in guns as propelling charges
Examples of gunpowder in a Sentence
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Shujiro screams into the gunpowder sky, as men from both sides of the battle are indiscriminately slaughtered around him, as if one man can halt the brutal churn of history.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Most of the victims had execution-style wounds, some of which were inflicted with two quick shots at very close range, leaving traces of gunpowder on the bodies.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
China famously invented gunpowder, remember.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
In 1700, for example, the Dutch flooded part of West Africa with perhaps as much as 40 million pounds of gunpowder, enough for well over half a billion musket shots; the world population at the time may have been as low as 600 million people.
—Clifton Crais, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
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Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
Most of the victims had execution-style wounds, some of which were inflicted with two quick shots at very close range, leaving traces of gunpowder on the bodies.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
China famously invented gunpowder, remember.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
In 1700, for example, the Dutch flooded part of West Africa with perhaps as much as 40 million pounds of gunpowder, enough for well over half a billion musket shots; the world population at the time may have been as low as 600 million people.
—Clifton Crais, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunpowder
Cite this Entry
“Gunpowder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunpowder. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
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gunpowder
noun
gun·pow·der
-ˌpau̇d-ər
: an explosive mixture used in guns and blasting
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