gunning

verb

present participle of gun
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 gunning Some Democratic candidates gunning to replace Graham Platner have criticized Collins’ recent vote to continue funding the agency without requiring additional guardrails. — NBC news, 15 July 2026 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 Look for Spain to come out gunning in this one. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 21 June 2026 Despite the good news, Combs’ legal team is still gunning for an appeal to get him out, stat. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026 Some of Carlson’s allies are gunning for a campaign. — Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026 With more firms adopting AI, students gunning for a career in banking and finance are preparing to be up against such technology at first interaction. — Meg Short, Fortune, 7 June 2026 Nate’s bête noire is not his fellow Toyota salesman (Kumail Nanjiani), who’s gunning for Nate’s Number One spot and free Tennessee Titans tickets. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
  1. shooting
  2. drilling
  3. popping
Verb
  • Given Nolan’s famous aversion to AI, there was a relief in knowing this incredible display of creativity came primarily from practical effects and shooting on location.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Lendeborg has off shooting night After beginning summer league a scorching 13 of 22 from behind the arc, Yaxel Lendeborg has cooled off over the past two games.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of shooting
Verb
  • Portugal’s second goal against Uzbekistan in the group stage added even more variety to the mix, with Bruno Fernandes drilling a low effort towards three runners at the near post.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • The Fever guard, who was walking the Octagon at UFC 329 less than 24 hours earlier, caught fire for 20 points while drilling six of her seven attempts from beyond the arc.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • But, experts say, the projects popping up in Miami-Dade are unlike those that grab headlines for fouling drinking water and driving up power bills — for now.
    — Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • But even in a regular photograph, Horálek was able to show the incredible beauty of the glow of the Milky Way's heart above the mountain range, with every color in the rainbow popping up in the gas and dust across our galaxy.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of popping

Browse Nearby Words

gunners
gunning
gunning (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gunning

Nglish: Translation of gunning for Spanish Speakers

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