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
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
He is accused of gunning the CEO down outside a Midtown hotel, setting off a manhunt spanning several states.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Is Leonardo DiCaprio gunning for our hearts and memes?
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews and other Team USA stars will be gunning for some revenge along with a gold medal.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
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
He is accused of gunning the CEO down outside a Midtown hotel, setting off a manhunt spanning several states.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Is Leonardo DiCaprio gunning for our hearts and memes?
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews and other Team USA stars will be gunning for some revenge along with a gold medal.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
Verb
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Ryan Gosling acted against a couple of surprising collaborators while shooting his latest movie.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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Video of a barricade situation in Baltimore County is gaining attention and giving a closer look at what led to police shooting and killing a man inside his home on Wednesday night.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Most involve drilling holes into the stump, filling them with the chemical, and then waiting.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
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The team has already finished the first 180 feet (55 meters) of drilling at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in Switzerland, a facility that has hosted nuclear waste disposal experiments for three decades.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And the same level of improvement that showed from 3-point range a year ago is now popping up from inside the arc.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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But for a generation that has spent their entire lives being entertained by an algorithm, popping a disc into a player, sitting back, and knowing that their viewing experience won’t be interrupted by slow Internet seems almost radical.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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