handgun

noun

Definition of handgunnext
as in pistol

Related Words

Relevance

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 handgun Investigators said in each incident, two masked men approached women who were walking by themselves, pulled out a handgun, and demanded rings and necklaces. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Police found a Glock handgun, a magazine, a holster, three shell casings, four live rounds, a wallet, money and a Missouri ID card for Mahmud in a grocery sack in between two fences near the business, according to court documents. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 According to Bouchard, his office recovered a Taurus 9 mm handgun that was registered to the dad. — Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026 On August 7th of that year, Barisone took a pink-and-black-camouflage handgun from a safe and went to a house on his property being occupied by a thirty-eight-year-old woman named Lauren Kanarek. — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for handgun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handgun
  1. pistol
  2. firearm
  3. revolver
  4. gun
  5. derringer
  6. sidearm
Noun
  • In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar southwest of Johannesburg late Saturday.
    — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar near Johannesburg late on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of pistol
Noun
  • Jurors did convict Martin and Payton of being felons in possession of firearms and found allegations of prior felony convictions to be true.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Former police colonel Christiaan Prinsloo was convicted in 2016 after stealing more than 2,000 firearms from police stores and selling them on, including to gangs.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of firearm
Noun
  • On June 29, a New Haven Superior Court jury found Stokes guilty of murder, criminal attempt to commit improper sale of a firearm, conspiracy to commit improper sale of a firearm and carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Authorities concluded that Haught had died accidentally while playing Russian roulette with a revolver, but that finding was later questioned.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolver
Noun
  • The gun above School Girls’ mantelpiece is the skin-bleaching cream the girls refer to early in the play.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Washington had five previous felony convictions, including drug and weapons charges, and was not allowed to possess a gun.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of gun
Noun
  • This mysterious derringer pistol has sparked more intrigue than any of his other dangerous finds because people want to know the back story.
    — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
  • This victim’s vision seems weird and fraudulent when Priscilla casually color-coordinates derringer pistols with designer dresses.
    — Armond White, National Review, 3 Nov. 2023
Definition of derringer
Noun
  • The need for any person to openly brandish a sidearm or a person to carry an assault rifle on his shoulder is absolute insanity.
    — Dan Sweeney, Sun Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The agent was able to reach his sidearm and shot the man, Peguero Rivera said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of sidearm

Browse Nearby Words

handgrips
handgun
handguns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Handgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handgun. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on handgun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about handgun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All