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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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
The facility produces gunpowder and explosives for Russian military stocks, Kyiv's military said.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gunpowder
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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
The facility produces gunpowder and explosives for Russian military stocks, Kyiv's military said.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 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 13 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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