rifle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of riflenext
as in shotgun

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rifle

2 of 2

verb

ˈrī-fəl How to pronounce rifle (audio)
as in to search
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rifle
Noun
One exhibit brings together the then-future president’s buckskin jacket and pants, his rifle, Tiffany knife, his spurs, and his branding irons. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026 The state tightened its restrictions after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, when a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle and large-capacity magazines killed 26 children and teachers. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Verb
Vinícius exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães on the left flank, took a few touches to cut around Neil El Aynaoui and rifled a right-footed shot past the outstretched arm of Yassine Bounou for his 10th international goal. — ABC News, 13 June 2026 The woman’s daughter showed investigators video footage showing Robinson rifling through the woman’s drawers, selecting items and hiding them on her body. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifle
  1. shotgun
  2. search
  3. musket
  4. comb
  5. flintlock
  6. rake
  7. smoothbore
  8. blunderbuss
Noun
  • This random, explosive fragmentation resembles the firing of a shotgun.
    — Jenny Whilde, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
  • The pair of shotgun-style bedrooms right off the entry are decently sized and come with closets, in addition to being separated by the bathroom.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of shotgun
Verb
  • In Gaza City, a Palestinian man continues to search for the remains of his 26-year-old son, who was killed in an Israeli strike nine months ago.
    — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, the former Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has bounced between organizations searching for another opportunity.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of search
Noun
  • Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original.
    — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Those artifacts include musket balls found in the floorboards years ago during a renovation of Hollis Hall, a dormitory that soldiers used during fighting.
    — Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2026
Definition of musket
Verb
  • When the time came for the Southern Living staff to begin the process of combing through 60 years of recipes, we were each randomly assigned a couple of issues from various years.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Dondi’s son and son-in-law kept combing the flood area for objects, as did her husband, who also transported bins of things back to the warehouse and coached volunteers.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of comb
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
  • Modern gun technologies are far, far more deadly than the one-shot flintlocks of the 18th century—shouldn’t that matter?
    — Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023
Definition of flintlock
Verb
  • The grass and roots can then be raked out after tilling the soil and before planting flowers.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
  • In a group play match against Algeria, Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, seemed to rake his studs along Aïssa Mandi’s right calf and ankle.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of rake
Noun
  • Both tanks mount 120-125 mm smoothbore cannons capable of engaging armored vehicles at long range.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • At least three states — Hawaii, Ohio and North Dakota — treat a smoothbore musket the same as an AK-47 or AR-15.
    — Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Definition of smoothbore
Noun
  • Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.
    — Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Cost cutting ‘blunderbuss’ DOGE is part of a long line of presidential efforts to take an ax to the administrative state.
    — Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Definition of blunderbuss

Browse Nearby Words

riffs
rifle
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Cite this Entry

“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifle. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rifle

Nglish: Translation of rifle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rifle

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