guns 1 of 2

Definition of gunsnext
plural of gun
as in weapons
large firearms (as cannons or rockets) the field commander called for the big guns to be deployed for the full-scale assault

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

guns

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gun

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 guns
Noun
After Florida law changed last fall, Publix opted to allow customers to open carry, while other major grocery chains, including Walmart and Winn-Dixie, asked customers not to bring guns. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2026 McDonnell has publicly defended the stops as an essential law enforcement tool in the department’s fight against guns, gangs and drugs. Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026 What emerged from those interviews was a portrait of the state’s yearslong fight over guns, which has fallen along party lines. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026 Sporting massive guns and thick armor, whoever had the biggest had, in theory, the most control of the seas. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026 The shooting came just over a week after a California man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives. ABC News, 6 May 2026 These guns are used to kill, to injure, to rob, and to intimidate. Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 6 May 2026 After several minutes of police trying to get Steven Jones to drop the knife with their guns drawn, the three officers were able to form a circle around him with a sidewalk and small snowbank to his back, the video shows. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026 But the weather turned colder last week, allowing the students, most of whom are preparing for jobs in the ski industry, to crank up the snowmaking guns last weekend. John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Both guns the suspect used in the shooting were acquired legally in San Antonio in 2017, Davis said. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026 The military seemingly guns her down during a confrontation with Hopper and Eleven. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026 One dog manages to escape the store, but Noem quickly catches up to it and brutally guns it down. Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guns
Noun
  • Later that month, Rubio declared an emergency and expedited a multibillion-dollar weapons sale to the UAE and Kuwait, along with aircraft and munitions support for Jordan.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
  • Urge hotels to provide complimentary weapons storage for its Rewards Club member guests?
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons shoots against Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic in Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday.
    Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 4 May 2026
  • Ryo Ishikawa shoots a 12-under 58 — the lowest score on a major tour — to win The Crowns in Togo, Japan.
    Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Residents described artillery fire before soldiers stormed the town in armored vehicles.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The massive site near De Soto was once home to a factory that produced gunpowder for artillery shells in World War II and rocket propellants during the Vietnam War.
    Hannah Wise, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The nonprofit drills wells to provide clean water.
    Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 6 May 2026
  • For kids, there will be a mobile video game truck, skills and drills stations, inflatables, balloon and caricature artist and a face painter.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • The concept of dazzle camouflage as a potential solution brought together research on vision, color theory, and weaponry and military strategy.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
  • This year’s event – the fifth since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine – will take place without heavy weaponry, such as armor and missiles.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 4 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guns. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on guns

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster