Verb (1)rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
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.
Verb
Then Josh Allen flexed in the fourth quarter — escaping the pocket for a 27-yard scramble before rifling a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid one play later — to pull away for the 31-19 victory.—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 Without Jeanty being able to rifle off chunk yardage on downs, the team will remain one-dimensional behind the arm of Smith.—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
The women pull out their rifles when Plaza tells them she a lesbian.—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025 Lo looks over and sees the assistant lining up Richard in the rifle’s scope.—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rifle
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Anglo-French rifler to scrape off, plunder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German riffilōn to saw, obsolete Dutch rijffelen to scrape
Verb (2)
perhaps from French rifler to scratch, file, from Middle French, to scrape, plunder
Share