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
In the restaurants, especially SoNoMa, there is particular focus on responsibly local and environmentally friendly sourcing, with the team gunning to start a comprehensive composting system.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly gunning to go public in a historic trillion dollar IPO.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
The teaser also offers the first look at Robert Pattinson as Scytale, the shape-shifting antagonist gunning to take down Paul.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly gunning to go public in a historic trillion dollar IPO.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
The teaser also offers the first look at Robert Pattinson as Scytale, the shape-shifting antagonist gunning to take down Paul.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
Verb
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Ball, who has been on a heater of late, set the tone early by showing off his full bag of tricks — shooting 3s off one foot, throwing no-look dimes and outleaping opponents for rebounds, seemingly toying with the Kings at times.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Three other officers returned fire, shooting 32 bullets into the apartment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Companies in Colorado are drilling horizontally up to 3 and 4 miles to reach the oil and gas while trying to avoid populated areas, Hill said.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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At the back edge of a backyard, in a dead-end South Florida canal, Arthur Tiedeman is drilling holes into the face of a seawall his marine construction company recently installed.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Beyond people filming themselves trying the trendy treat, videos asking where to find the soft serve in cities across the United States are also popping up on social media, racking up thousands of views and comments, trying to find the answer.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
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Ahh, blooming buds, fresh produce popping up at markets and warmer days ahead.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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