handgun
noun
hand·gun
ˈhan(d)-ˌgən 
: a firearm (such as a revolver or pistol) designed to be held and fired with one hand
Examples of handgun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, officials said.
—
Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
He was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives.
—Don Sweeney
april 27, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of California, was tackled after sprinting through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton carrying a handgun, a shotgun and knives, police said.
—Peter Weber, TheWeek, 27 Apr. 2026
The filing Monday asserts that a shot was heard after Allen, who was outfitted with a shotgun, handgun and several knives, ran through a metal detector.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handgun
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.
Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
He was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives.
—Don Sweeney
april 27, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of California, was tackled after sprinting through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton carrying a handgun, a shotgun and knives, police said.
—Peter Weber, TheWeek, 27 Apr. 2026
The filing Monday asserts that a shot was heard after Allen, who was outfitted with a shotgun, handgun and several knives, ran through a metal detector.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handgun
Cite this Entry
“Handgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handgun. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handgun
noun
hand·gun
ˈhan(d)-ˌgən
: a firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
