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.
The former, a technical sergeant in Company D, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, parachuted into Neuville-au-Plain and was killed in an intense gunfight. Emily Krauser, People.com, 24 July 2025 Letting the action unfold in something close to real time, director Fred Zinnemann builds the tension slowly, letting Kane’s mounting desperation, rather than gunfights and acts of heroism, push the film along. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025 Bell, Stabler, Tanner, Reyes and a bunch more cops storm Emery’s transport; a gunfight erupts. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 June 2025 Losing a friend side by side in a gunfight often meant pursuing vengeance in his memory, taking care not to squander his martyrdom. Literary Hub, 3 July 2025 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 21 Aug. 2025.

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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