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
At the county, a coalition of labor unions and nonprofits are gunning for a $360 million sales tax hike to plug holes in the county’s budget.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Now, everyone is gunning for Rick but scared of his idol.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
And The Rookie is nowhere near done, gunning for the shows that are ahead of it on the list.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
However, the Philadelphia Flyers (88 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (88) are gunning for that third and final divisional spot in the few games remaining.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The crew of Artemis II, gunning for a launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, features what would be the first Black man, first woman and first person from a country other than the United States to ever fly past low-Earth orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Now, everyone is gunning for Rick but scared of his idol.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
And The Rookie is nowhere near done, gunning for the shows that are ahead of it on the list.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
However, the Philadelphia Flyers (88 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (88) are gunning for that third and final divisional spot in the few games remaining.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The crew of Artemis II, gunning for a launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening, features what would be the first Black man, first woman and first person from a country other than the United States to ever fly past low-Earth orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunning
Verb
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He is seen walking down the middle of the street, terrorizing drivers and waving and shooting a long gun.—
Cheryl Fiandaca,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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Notably, @Daiyinchi’s breakdown of the 'Smart Framing' feature reached a million-strong audience quickly, suggesting strong interest in tools that offer more hands-on shooting guidance rather than simply another filter.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Brown declared, pulling a handle that started drilling the first hole of soil tests for a subway that planners estimated could be built in just three years.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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For producers, prices were high enough to turn a profit but not high enough to justify sending a bunch of drilling rigs out to boost production.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Does Link have a pill-popping problem now?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
One of the major keys to popping curls is a healthy scalp, and this two-in-one cleanser and scrub keeps roots and follicles in prime condition so hair can flourish.—
Aimee Simeon,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunning. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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