gunplay

noun

gun·​play ˈgən-ˌplā How to pronounce gunplay (audio)
: the shooting of small arms with intent to scare or kill

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web He’s actually shaken by it, which will come as a surprise to those who met Kanan as a mustache-twirling antagonist who delights in torture and gunplay. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 The old-style union bosses were ruthless in threatening or allowing companies to fire dissident workers and often decided union votes with thugs, show-of-hand votes or gunplay. Dallas News, 3 Feb. 2022 Ironically, these scenes hold up the best because most of the film is a lame retread of earlier Bond adventures, but adding kung fu to break up the usual boring fisticuffs and gunplay helps make these scenes feel almost transgressively dynamic. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2023 These games were huge hits, combining resource management, survival horror, and gunplay to create something truly unique. K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2023 This is not a place for gunplay. Chris Boyette, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022 One Ring then works in post-production to make that faked gunplay look real. Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Jan. 2022 The gunplay and melee combat are more impactful, and the encounters are set up with a bit more freedom for strategy. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2023 The frontier legend could not have lasted without gunplay in the movies, which wasted no time weaponizing the old West and the new. Patt Morrisoncolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunplay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunplay was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near gunplay

Cite this Entry

“Gunplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunplay. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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