as in shooting
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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Recent Examples of gunning
Five programs are gunning for their first state title, most of which are in their finals debut.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
North Hollywood and Grant are gunning for the East Valley League championship, a title the Lancers have grasped for four straight years with just one league loss in that span.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
He is accused of gunning Thompson down outside a Midtown hotel, setting off a manhunt spanning several states.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Cirie and Ozzy are gunning for Jenna, who had Cirie’s name in her mouth while her new sneakers weren’t even sandy yet.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
At least a third of the league is gunning for favorable lottery position in a draft that features Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer and a series of talented guards as consolation prizes.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But Lardis was gunning for a bigger prize.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Safe to say that the Jazz aren’t exactly gunning for a playoff spot either.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026
Running and gunning The Kings came out running, gunning and rebounding while the Cavaliers struggled to find a rhythm with Harden joining the starting lineup.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
North Hollywood and Grant are gunning for the East Valley League championship, a title the Lancers have grasped for four straight years with just one league loss in that span.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
He is accused of gunning Thompson down outside a Midtown hotel, setting off a manhunt spanning several states.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Cirie and Ozzy are gunning for Jenna, who had Cirie’s name in her mouth while her new sneakers weren’t even sandy yet.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
At least a third of the league is gunning for favorable lottery position in a draft that features Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer and a series of talented guards as consolation prizes.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But Lardis was gunning for a bigger prize.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Safe to say that the Jazz aren’t exactly gunning for a playoff spot either.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026
Running and gunning The Kings came out running, gunning and rebounding while the Cavaliers struggled to find a rhythm with Harden joining the starting lineup.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
Verb
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Johnson continued to impress with eight points in the second quarter to enter halftime with a team-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 shooting on threes to go with five rebounds, one steal and one block in 10 minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
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Not with Alex Karaban and Solo Ball, who’ve both had seasons shooting over 40% from beyond the arc, coming back.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Environmental advocates expressed alarm about orders to restart offshore drilling at the site of a devastating 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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Joson Sanon caught fire from there, drilling three 3-pointers — the last one being a four-point play — in a three-minute span.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Utility infrastructure and data center warehouses are popping up across Georgia, but are there enough workers trained to support all that rapid growth?—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Her eye-popping numbers included a 38-point, 13-rebound performance in a 72-44 win over Hillcrest to win a Class 3A sectional title and a 30-point, 14-rebound showing in a 69-48 win over Lincoln-Way East to win the Sandburg Holiday Classic.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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