submachine gun
noun
sub·ma·chine gun
ˌsəb-mə-ˈshēn-ˌgən 
: a portable automatic firearm that uses pistol-type ammunition and is fired from the shoulder or hip
Examples of submachine gun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Saturday’s theft was reminiscent of a 2017 incident in which a submachine gun and a bulletproof vest were stolen from a special agent’s vehicle in the Concord-Orinda-Lafayette area.
—
Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2021
My body hears perfect and morphs into a pink submachine gun.
—Melania Luisa Marte, refinery29.com, 14 June 2023
There was a troubling symmetry: Public Enemy’s logo of a black man in a rifle sight on one side, and the JDO’s logo of a machine gun in a Star of David on the other; and the chic allure of Uzi submachine guns on both.
—John Leland, SPIN, 25 Feb. 2023
Johnson and Drazan both support gun owner rights and Johnson is a firearms collector who owns a submachine gun.
—oregonlive, 24 Sep. 2022
These courses, given on occasional Sundays, include practice with Uzi submachine guns.
—John Leland, SPIN, 25 Feb. 2023
George Stevens, the Hollywood film director, took his United States Army Signal Corps crew to Chartres but used his personal camera to capture her, with a slight smile, and a submachine gun slung over her right shoulder.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Investigators seized several guns, including a Glock 19, Masterpiece Arms submachine gun, Archangel AR-15, Rockland Island revolver model 206, Glock 26, SCCY 9MM, and an Umarex pellet gun, police said.
—Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
First, a caveat: An original MAC-10 – the Military Armament Corporation Model 10 – is typically a fully automatic submachine gun.
—Emily Smith, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023
See More
Jessica Flores, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2021
My body hears perfect and morphs into a pink submachine gun.
—Melania Luisa Marte, refinery29.com, 14 June 2023
There was a troubling symmetry: Public Enemy’s logo of a black man in a rifle sight on one side, and the JDO’s logo of a machine gun in a Star of David on the other; and the chic allure of Uzi submachine guns on both.
—John Leland, SPIN, 25 Feb. 2023
Johnson and Drazan both support gun owner rights and Johnson is a firearms collector who owns a submachine gun.
—oregonlive, 24 Sep. 2022
These courses, given on occasional Sundays, include practice with Uzi submachine guns.
—John Leland, SPIN, 25 Feb. 2023
George Stevens, the Hollywood film director, took his United States Army Signal Corps crew to Chartres but used his personal camera to capture her, with a slight smile, and a submachine gun slung over her right shoulder.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Investigators seized several guns, including a Glock 19, Masterpiece Arms submachine gun, Archangel AR-15, Rockland Island revolver model 206, Glock 26, SCCY 9MM, and an Umarex pellet gun, police said.
—Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
First, a caveat: An original MAC-10 – the Military Armament Corporation Model 10 – is typically a fully automatic submachine gun.
—Emily Smith, CNN, 25 Jan. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'submachine gun.' 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
1920, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near submachine gun
Cite this Entry
“Submachine gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/submachine%20gun. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
submachine gun
noun
sub·ma·chine gun
ˌsəb-mə-ˈshēn-ˌgən
: a lightweight automatic portable firearm
More from Merriam-Webster on submachine gun
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for submachine gun
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about submachine gun
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