derringer

Definition of derringernext

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 derringer This mysterious derringer pistol has sparked more intrigue than any of his other dangerous finds because people want to know the back story. Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026 One hundred and fifty-nine years ago, a 26-year-old white supremacist and Confederate sympathizer named John Wilkes Booth pointed a .44 caliber derringer pistol at the back of Abraham Lincoln’s head and squeezed the trigger. Brian Matthew Jordan, National Review, 14 Apr. 2024 In 1976, after wrecking his Rolls-Royce in a drunk-driving accident, he was arrested, intoxicated, with a loaded derringer on the grounds of Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate. Chris Morris, Variety, 28 Oct. 2022 Police found a silver derringer-style gun in his backpack at the time of his arrest. oregonlive, 21 June 2022 There's also a replica of the derringer pistol John Wilkes Booth used to assassinate Lincoln. Ariana Garcia, Chron, 13 May 2022 Wagrowski also testified that police found two guns -- a .22-caliber Kel-tec and a small derringer -- at the Crumbley home, aside from the one allegedly used in the shooting. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derringer
Noun
  • About three months into the search, Chavez’s landlady found Jimmy’s bookbag and a revolver handgun belonging to her inside Chavez’s trailer.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Later audio analysis from that night noted as many as 13 shots—even though Sirhan’s revolver could only hold eight rounds.
    Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • According to court records, multiple semi-automatic pistol shell casings were found at the scene.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
  • Police sources said the victim had confronted the gunman about speaking too loudly on a phone, when the male teen pulled a pistol and shot him.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • He was armed with a handgun, police said.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 10 June 2026
  • Genco went so far as to buy a bulletproof vest and a skull mask, a rifle and handgun magazines.
    Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • As Rosalind disguised as a boy, Adele wore a bolo tie and a low-slung gun belt with a six-shooter.
    Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Who love the pop-cultured, Hollywood-ed image of the Texas Ranger: The cowboy wearing his Stetson, firing six-shooters at bad guys — usually Native Americans.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The Indians scored their would-be final goal in the third on a shot from Emery Simmons on a sidearm shot past Bishops’ midfielder Izzy Grundig.
    Zach McMahon, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
  • Perhaps Edwards will have his sidearm in tow for next year’s playoff run.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • The six months Tran received for pleading guilty to larceny of a firearm, misleading law enforcement in a criminal investigation, and filing an application for a license to carry containing false information were served concurrently with the federal charges.
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
  • The mayor's office stated that, as of May 30, 2026, the Baltimore Police Department officers have seized over 850 firearms this year.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Noun
  • Today, visitors can explore the fortress, spread out for a picnic on the green lawn and take in sweeping views of America’s Oldest City from the gun deck.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
  • The purpose and the extent of hunting were radically altered by the arrival of European guns and markets—the killing of wild animals became an occupation with commercial ends, for both whites and Indians; and wild hides and wild meat became the goods of an insatiable marketplace.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Derringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derringer. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on derringer

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster