assault rifle

noun

Definition of assault riflenext
as in assault weapon

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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 assault rifle When Jonah was 3, sound asleep in his room at his older sister’s birthday party, bullets from an assault rifle cracked through the windows of Jamon’s house and left holes above his bed. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026 About a mile and a half away from the shooting, police were seen investigating an SUV near 44th Street and Wolcott Avenue, where an AK-47-style assault rifle was lying on the ground nearby. — Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 27 May 2026 There’s an encased AK-47 and a grenade in another area; in the magazine of the assault rifle, which is wrapped in $1 bills, are items humans kill for, such as cocaine, diamonds, and gold. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 Separately, a female Channel-3 presenter, Mobina Nasiri, addressed viewers while grasping an assault rifle with both hands. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for assault rifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault rifle
  1. assault weapon
  2. machine gun
  3. submachine gun
  4. machine pistol
  5. tommy gun
  6. rifle
Noun
  • After Kendall’s defense petitioned for weapons charges to be tried in front of a judge rather than a jury, he was also found guilty of possessing an assault weapon.
    — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Gun sales in Virginia have surged in recent months ahead of a July 1 ban on the sale of assault weapons, according to data from the FBI.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Definition of assault weapon
Noun
  • Just like in the darnkess cave, the snarling machine gun of thoughts—unanswered emails, to-dos, and angst about my 17 year old’s plans to travel the world alone—slowly fell silent.
    — Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026
  • According to prosecutors, a group of gunmen later tracked Bowman to Los Angeles in 2022, then stalked and ambushed him at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds from multiple weapons, including a machine gun.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Definition of machine gun
Noun
  • On the roof, a three-year-old boy from Chile plays with a toy submachine gun, pointing it at anyone who comes within range.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Police learned Pyles owns a handgun and a submachine gun, according to charging documents.
    — Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Definition of submachine gun
Noun
  • One casing is a 9mm caliber, likely a pistol, or a machine pistol or a submachine gun, Weir said.
    — Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 26 June 2024
  • Deputies also allegedly found a MAC-10 machine pistol and a 9 mm handgun under the passenger seat.
    — Jason Green, The Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2019
Definition of machine pistol
Noun
  • Gunfire disrupts the silence as Raya emerges through smoke, armed with a tommy gun.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Gauging from the trailer, this grisly period piece appears to be set in the South with Jordan starring in a dual role as a pair of twins, at least one of whom gets to spray bullets with a retro tommy gun.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of tommy gun
Noun
  • One minor point worth mentioning, though, is that in the new trailer (shown below), the Billbine gets its new long rifle launcher (shown above) as seen in the Side R footage from 2024.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of rifle

Browse Nearby Words

assaultiveness
assault rifle
assault rifles
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Cite this Entry

“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault%20rifle. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on assault rifle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assault rifle

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