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
Last month, a lone gunman allegedly shot and killed right-wing speaker Charlie Kirk at an event at a Utah college.
—
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
The man eventually named as the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, was shot to death by strip club owner Jack Ruby.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Doyle was riding in a BMW being driven by Gary Hutch—a nephew of the Hutch gang’s patriarch, Gerry—when a gunman fired several shots into the car, causing a crash.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Last month, Islamist gunmen on motorbikes reportedly killed 22 people in an attack on Tillaberi village in western Niger.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunman
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.
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
The man eventually named as the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, was shot to death by strip club owner Jack Ruby.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Doyle was riding in a BMW being driven by Gary Hutch—a nephew of the Hutch gang’s patriarch, Gerry—when a gunman fired several shots into the car, causing a crash.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Last month, Islamist gunmen on motorbikes reportedly killed 22 people in an attack on Tillaberi village in western Niger.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunman
Cite this Entry
“Gunman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunman. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gunman
noun
gun·man
-mən 
: a person armed with a gun
especially
: an armed criminal
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share