gun 1 of 2

noun

ˈgən How to pronounce gun (audio)
Definition of gunnext
1
as in firearm
a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder while her father preferred hunting with a crossbow, she preferred a gun

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2
as in artillery
guns plural large firearms (as cannons or rockets) the field commander called for the big guns to be deployed for the full-scale assault

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gun

2 of 2

verb

as in to shoot
to strike with a missile from a gun traded stories of the Wild West, when outlaws gunned men down in broad daylight and in cold blood

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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 gun
Noun
Officers also found two guns inside the vehicle, police said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Sep. 2026 Francisco worried about the proliferation of high-caliber guns, which few locals knew how to handle safely. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
Amid allegations of sharing customer data with China, Australian payments startup Airwallex, now valued at $11 billion, is gunning for Stripe and Ramp. — Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Following the logical evidence feels like Detective 101, but their boss is gunning for an arrest so Gonzales gives in to Baxter’s impulse. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun
  1. firearm
  2. artillery
  3. shoot
  4. rifle
  5. weapons
  6. drill
Noun
  • Officers also found several large shipping boxes containing precious metals, two unregistered firearms, and more than $105,000 in cash, according to the sheriff’s department.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • We are introduced to Celeste at target practice with her impressive arsenal of firearms, which get suspiciously little play once the action finally arrives.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of firearm
Noun
  • That includes more than 10,000 armored and protected vehicles, close to 3,000 air defense and artillery systems, and over 370 aircraft and helicopters, Knighton said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • That includes more than 10,000 armored and protected vehicles, close to 3,000 air defense and artillery systems, and more than 370 aircraft and helicopters, Knighton said.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of artillery
Verb
  • Giffords was shot during an assassination attempt in 2011 but has stayed active in politics since leaving Congress.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There was just the goalkeeper from the first team who would come and shoot some balls at me.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of shoot
Noun
  • Bum-seok, Sung-ae, and Sung-ki do find a shambolic Hawksian unity, after a fashion; Sung-ae, in particular, has only to step out of a car with a military-grade rifle to elicit spontaneous applause.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Corle managed to get partly turned and jammed the rifle into the sow’s thick brown fur.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rifle
Noun
  • Ordonez alleges he was kidnapped by two people who threatened him, blindfolded him, had weapons and inserted a syringe into his neck.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Western officials suspect that the traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of weapons
Verb
  • Here against Hull, Suzuki drilled a low pass into Jackson’s feet.
    — Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Naturally, the privilege of drilling your marketing messages into the skulls of TV’s last great mass audience comes at a price.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of drill

Phrases Containing gun

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gum (up)
gun
gundog
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Cite this Entry

“Gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gun

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