as in musket
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 matchlock
The Ottomans deployed field artillery and Janissary infantry armed with matchlocks in a defensive formation called tabur jangi, in which carts and wagons were used to build barricades on the battlefield.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The birth of ‘gunpowder warfare’ can be traced back to the 15th century and the invention of the matchlock gun, the first mechanical firing device.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018
First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time.
—Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The birth of ‘gunpowder warfare’ can be traced back to the 15th century and the invention of the matchlock gun, the first mechanical firing device.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018
First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time.
—Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchlock
Noun
-
Instead of killing him, the musket ball to the back paralyzed Captain Cunningham from the waist down.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
-
This clandestine supply chain eventually provided thousands of muskets, field artillery and millions of pounds of gunpowder that made possible the 1777 victory at Saratoga and France’s subsequent formal alliance.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Smoke billowed from his flintlock and Rhoades didn’t see where the buck ran after the shot.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The flintlock pistol that Torres is given by the Yautja to fight his fellow prisoners is known by Predator fans as the Raphael Adolini 1715 pistol for an engraved plate that says just that.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
This tank is potentially equipped with a 130mm smoothbore gun.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To put that in perspective, when Beretta started making arquebus barrels, Michelangelo was still working in Rome.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And a Benelli shotgun for Guinness stout.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Ikner then uploaded a photo of 12-gauge shotgun shells.—
Jeff Burlew,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers recently found medieval cannonballs from culverins, an early form of cannon, that were most likely used by Vlad the Impaler, during his bloody battle in 1461 with the Ottoman Turks.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
5 Aug. 2019
Noun
-
With feverish speed and characteristic blunderbuss, President Donald Trump has given the federal government – and himself – unprecedented control over private economic decisions.—
Matthew Mitchell,
Twin Cities,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Harris did not end up buying the firearm, but, six days later, a gun of the same calibre was used to kill Garrison.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Spanberger signed a series of gun control bills on Friday, including legislation regulating firearm manufacturers’ liability, ghost guns, and partners of individuals charged with misdemeanor domestic violence.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Matchlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchlock. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
