gunfight

noun

gun·​fight ˈgən-ˌfīt How to pronounce gunfight (audio)
: a hostile encounter in which antagonists with guns shoot at each other
gunfighter noun

Examples of gunfight in a Sentence

There was a gunfight between the rival gangs.
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.
In 2021, further south in Tulum, two tourists — one a California travel blogger born in India and a German national — were killed when they apparently were caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival drug dea. Janay Reece, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026 The close-range gunfight happened Wednesday with a carjacking suspect who was killed when shot and struck by a police SUV in downtown San Jose, authorities said. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Authorities said that in the moments leading up to the video, Husien shot at a police sergeant after the officer attempted to use his patrol vehicle to block the car Husien was driving, which police said had been taken in a carjacking, setting off a close-range gunfight at the sergeant’s SUV. Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026 The San José Police Department identified the carjacking suspect at the center of the incident, who shot and wounded an officer during a close-range gunfight before he was mowed down by a police cruiser and fatally shot. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gunfight

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunfight was in 1659

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Cite this Entry

“Gunfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunfight. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

gunfight

noun
gun·​fight -ˌfīt How to pronounce gunfight (audio)
: a fight fought with guns
gunfighter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gunfight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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