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
Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter in dark clothing and carrying a long rifle walking up to a white car, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The other $76,000 would primarily go toward replenishing blasting caps, flash bang rounds, rifle ammunition and smoke grenades. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 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
  • Beginning the next 11-on-11 period out of the shotgun, Mahomes served up a perfect pass to Tyquan Thornton, who was breaking to the right sideline.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
  • At one point, King and backup center Nick Samac had a bad exchange on a shotgun snap.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
Definition of shotgun
Verb
  • Unlike Lake Michigan, debris and garbage settle along the riverbed and near the banks, forcing divers to search through sediment and obstacles while currents continue to move beneath the surface.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators searched the Starbucks headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday, police said Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 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
  • During pre-deployment cybersecurity testing, three Anthropic models gained unauthorized access to production systems belonging to outside organizations, and the company disclosed it on July 30 after combing through 141,006 evaluation runs.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Apply the mask from the mid-lengths to the ends and comb it through to ensure even coverage.
    — Anya Meyerowitz, Glamour, 2 Aug. 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
  • Corbin raked Trick’s eyes behind the referees back, but Yachty hit Corbin with a kendo stick leading to a Death Valley Driver from Trick for the nearfall.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Cover sandboxes with a tarp when not in use and rake sand under playground equipment to help deter wasps.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
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rifled
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Cite this Entry

“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifle. Accessed 8 Aug. 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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