as in gun
a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder
soldiers grabbing their arms and helmets and heading into battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in department
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization
a company that needs to beef up its marketing arm if it wants to compete in today's business world
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in bay
a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline
this arm of the Atlantic is surprisingly peaceful, as the stronger ocean currents do not reach this far
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in peninsula
an area of land that juts out into a body of water
Maine has so many long, narrow arms that jut out into the ocean that early coastal settlers found it much easier to travel by sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in power
the right or means to command or control others
few criminals manage to permanently escape the long arm of the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to portion
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of arm
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Tibbets and Parsons, concerned about Little Boy’s 9,000 pounds, decided Parsons would arm the bomb after takeoff.
—David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
In 2024, a collision with Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino broke Rizzo’s arm, forcing him to miss 63 games.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arm
Noun
Earth is located in the Orion-Cygnus arm of the Milky Way, while the Double Cluster is embedded in the neighboring Perseus arm 7,000 light-years away.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Tibbets and Parsons, concerned about Little Boy’s 9,000 pounds, decided Parsons would arm the bomb after takeoff.
—David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Yelena begrudgingly agrees, and from the start, this decision is a clever lift on religious iconography, as if Mother Mary took up arms against the Roman forces herself instead of letting her Son be crucified.
—Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
In 2024, a collision with Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino broke Rizzo’s arm, forcing him to miss 63 games.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arm
Verb
-
For the most part, the Ripper has been background noise on Resurrection, with tidbits being portioned out over the course of the first eight episodes.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Consider prepping and portioning these sides ahead of time to make packing lunches on a busy morning a breeze.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Trying to stay ahead of the game, for Dick’s the acquisition of Foot Locker also fortifies relationships with Nike and Adidas, which still dominate global footwear sales, and gives Dick’s negotiating leverage.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, the purple and gold will be looking to continue fortifying their roster, likely through the start of the regular season, with the trade deadline of February 6th circled on their calendar.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Crunch talks The industry split on this issue comes as auto bosses prepare to meet the EU’s von der Leyen on Friday.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
House Republicans’ divisions on how the United States should engage in foreign wars will be on full display on Wednesday as the House prepares to vote on a handful of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Fans got an evening full of Moon Persons being handed out, show-stopping performances and plenty of surprises along the way — including a live f-bomb and touching family moment with the Osbournes.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
That tension—the desire to be recognized and the discomfort in handing out compliments—was brought to life in a now-famous social experiment.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But with age, the number of chances you’re allotted go down.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Jessi wasn’t allowed to close the door of the bathroom and was allotted seven minutes to shower.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Foreign-aid organizations challenged the administration's ability to refuse to spend funds already allocated by Congress.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The grants were allocated under President Joe Biden's signature Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an anti-gun violence law signed after the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Soros has doled out more than 75% of his fortune through his Open Society Foundations, which back global humanitarian aid, civic engagement and safeguarding individual freedoms.—
Ella Malmgren,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Mariah Carey, will be honored with the ceremonies' Video Vanguard Award, while the presenter list is equally glamorous, with Ciara, Drew Barrymore, Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Simpson, and many more doling out awards throughout the night.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arm. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share