as in guns
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 departments
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 bays
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 capes
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 powers
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
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 arms
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026
And there, above them, is Leonardo’s image of Jesus—arms outstretched, eyes cast down—presiding over the scene.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The fragrance-free, non-comedogenic formula was developed for areas where menopausal skin aging often appears most, including the chest, arms, hands and legs.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Wembanyama swung his arms and his elbow struck Reid in the face.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
On future flights of Starship V3, SpaceX will attempt to bring the ship back to Starbase for a catch by the launch tower’s mechanical arms, as the company has already demonstrated with the rocket’s massive Super Heavy booster.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
With the help of the nurses in the NICU, including Issabel Kenkel, the couple was able to say their vows while sitting in chairs next to each other with their newborns in their arms.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Step back until your arms are extended in front of you and there’s tension on the band.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 May 2026
The upper arms are constantly in a state of motion, which tones the muscles in use.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Noun
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026
And there, above them, is Leonardo’s image of Jesus—arms outstretched, eyes cast down—presiding over the scene.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The fragrance-free, non-comedogenic formula was developed for areas where menopausal skin aging often appears most, including the chest, arms, hands and legs.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Wembanyama swung his arms and his elbow struck Reid in the face.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
On future flights of Starship V3, SpaceX will attempt to bring the ship back to Starbase for a catch by the launch tower’s mechanical arms, as the company has already demonstrated with the rocket’s massive Super Heavy booster.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
With the help of the nurses in the NICU, including Issabel Kenkel, the couple was able to say their vows while sitting in chairs next to each other with their newborns in their arms.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Step back until your arms are extended in front of you and there’s tension on the band.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 May 2026
The upper arms are constantly in a state of motion, which tones the muscles in use.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arms
Noun
-
After Florida law changed last fall, Publix opted to allow customers to open carry, while other major grocery chains, including Walmart and Winn-Dixie, asked customers not to bring guns.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
7 May 2026
-
McDonnell has publicly defended the stops as an essential law enforcement tool in the department’s fight against guns, gangs and drugs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Some police departments have begun scouring social media for teen takeover plans and are treating these events more like civil unrest.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Health departments from Arizona, Georgia and Texas said the former passengers have not shown symptoms.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
By last year, this had risen to 80,000, with a further 36,000 seeing it for themselves from ships docked in Antarctica’s spectacular bays.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
8 May 2026
-
By contrast, countries in Asia often prioritize extensive seaweed farms, sometimes covering entire bays.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Not all heroes wear capes, but Geoff Cathcart has many to choose from.—
Samantha Stokes,
Essence,
6 May 2026
-
Not all superheroes wear capes, but every hero is only as good as their sidekick (at least the ones that have one).—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
By design Congress is supposed to serve as a check on the executive branch through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The step aims to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign powers for high-thrust engines.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
What fortifies it the most is an appearance from Williams’ grandfather midway through the song.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2026
-
Excited yet anxious over the prospect of reconnecting with the man that got away, the pair fortifies themselves with cocktails and bubbly during a boozy dinner.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Federal authorities charged more than 25 alleged members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA), seizing more than 80 firearms, roughly 18 kilograms of drugs and more than $100,000 in cash as part of a sweeping crackdown on the violent transnational gang.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Walker said the law is only part of the problem, pointing also to the widespread availability of firearms among young people.—
Ben Wheeler
Updated May 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
There are many ways for things to go wrong, given the number of parties involved, from surrogates and intended parents to fertility clinics, attorneys, and escrow agencies.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Pezeshkian’s office said last month that the restrictions on people’s access to the global internet were unfair and that government agencies had failed to set out a rationale for such a system.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arms. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
