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 However, the vast majority of these folks did not actually vote, and many asked for their erroneous registrations to be purged, contrary to the Republican fantasy that millions of noncitizens are all gunning to illegally vote. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
  1. shooting
  2. drilling
  3. popping
Verb
  • Police say the three teens had met up at a vacant industrial property in DeLand’s downtown that day for unknown reasons, and the meeting ended with Rundell fatally shooting the other two.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson appeared to turn the gun on the woman’s boyfriend, shooting him in the left shoulder.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of shooting
Verb
  • Construction teams last week began drilling the first of 65 on-site wells that will reach depths of 820 feet, where the temperature is roughly 55 degrees year-round.
    — Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Another effective herbicide treatment involves drilling holes 8 inches deep into the stump and pouring herbicide into the holes.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • But this notion that AI data centers are quickly popping up everywhere is belied by the fact that their construction faces massive hurdles – regardless of whether anyone wants them in their backyard or not.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Lately, the practical-but-polished silhouette has been popping up with of-the-moment updates like neutral color schemes and elevated materials (such as leather).
    — Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 6 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gunning

Nglish: Translation of gunning for Spanish Speakers

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