as in smoothbore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breechloader
Noun
-
First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time.—
Paul Scharre,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Feb. 2018 -
Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today.—
Kyle Mizokami,
Popular Mechanics,
7 Mar. 2018
Noun
-
Beretta traces its history to 1526, when Bartolomeo Beretta (d. 1565), a rifle barrel maker in the small northern Italian town of Gardone, sold 185 arquebus barrels—a handheld long gun and a forerunner to the modern rifle—to the Republic of Venice.—
Giacomo Tognini,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
-
The worshipers insisted on congregating to pray at the crucifix in the local church and threatened to shoot with an arquebus – a long gun used during the Renaissance period – anyone who got in their way.—
Hannah Marcus,
The Conversation,
25 Sep. 2020
Noun
-
Although a gunshot from a flintlock pistol lasts only an eye blink, the sound is composed of numerous elements: the squeeze of the trigger, the strike of the firing mechanism against the flint, the ignition of the powder, the slug’s passage through the barrel, the report, the impact.—
Alexis Soloski,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
-
My first rifle had been a flintlock that had been given to me by an old friend, Ed Wesson, the gunsmith.—
Outdoor Life,
Outdoor Life,
23 Nov. 2023
Noun
-
The gear is museum-worthy – muskets longer than men are tall, coats ranging from rich brocade to dun homespun.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The men, who’d assembled on the moors hours earlier, were armed with muskets, sticks, hatchets, and heavy blacksmith’s hammers.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An opening montage of video clips ends with an iconic two-shot from the film of their characters, Pedro (Marin) behind the wheel and Man (Chong) riding shotgun, disappearing into a screen full of smoke.—
Adam Tschorn,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Ferguson was arrested that same night, and police later recovered 48 weapons — including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and over 26,000 rounds of ammunition — from his home, according to prosecutors.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
What the Supreme Court should not do is hand down a blunderbuss of a legal rule — one that could very well throw every public school in the country into turmoil — based on a half-baked legal theory constructed by lawyers who don’t even know if their clients’ rights were violated yet.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Now comes President Donald Trump with his blunderbuss actions that weaken or threaten to weaken the press across the board, perplexing us all who are paying attention.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Many aspects of American life—for instance, the view held by many Americans that freedom and the right to bear firearms are inextricable—do not resonate outside the United States.—
RANA MITTER,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Johnson also spoke about the importance of properly securing firearms and using gun locks.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Police also allegedly found an additional Glock pistol stolen out of Southington, a revolver and two high-capacity magazines, according to police.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Some went to a gun store in town and bought all the revolvers in stock, in preparation for another attack.—
Michael Luo,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Breechloader.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breechloader. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share