1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

matchlocks

noun

plural of matchlock
as in muskets

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchlocks
  1. muskets
  2. firearms
  3. pistols
Noun
  • Back then, students halted studies to pick up rifles, muskets, and bayonets.
    — Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2026
  • The new United States needed muskets, cannons, ammunition, uniforms, cloth, food and credit.
    — R. Grant Gilmore III, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
Definition of muskets
Noun
  • But after his son Eugene Horsch, 44, was arrested in June on charges involving unlawful firearms and forgery, police made a series of unsettling discoveries at the family home on Chew Avenue in Philly's Olney neighborhood.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Under the federal law, people must be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed federal firearms dealer, though 18- to 20-year-olds can buy handguns from private sellers.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of firearms
Noun
  • In one black storage bin, agents found pistols beneath a lead plate.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The ruling does not apply to the country's most popular firearms, such as AR-15s and Glock pistols, which are standard weapons available for sale commercially and regulated largely under a different federal law.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pistols
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.

Browse Nearby Words

matchlock
matchlocks
matchup
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Matchlocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchlocks. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All