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
Moments later, Martinez-Nolasco made a full sprint toward the deputies, and Rios, carrying a rifle, and Ulrich, holding a pistol, both opened fire. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 His shot is a rifle, and his one-timer can be a legit weapon from range. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 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
  • Last year in Arizona, Demercado had a high rate of carries out of the shotgun, so being treated like more of a traditional rusher as opposed to just a passing-downs option could be evidence the team likes him as Kenneth Walker’s backup.
    — Ben Gretch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Facing second-and-4 in the second quarter, Browning took a shotgun snap, and Anudike-Uzomah was there in an instant, zipping by Tampa Bay third-string tackle Marshall Fournier for a free shot on Browning.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of shotgun
Verb
  • That led Cramer to search for companies that could benefit from lower oil prices while offering downside protection through a sizable dividend.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In July, Indigenous leaders in neighboring Brazil sought government protection after five men carrying machine guns entered their territory, threatened families and searched for community leaders.
    — Steven Grattan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of search
Noun
  • The alleged texts between the boys, who attended Switzerland Point Middle School, contained information about building a shotgun and musket, as well as obtaining zip ties, per the arrest report.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of musket
Verb
  • Near them is a box with a wood and mesh sifter to comb through the debris.
    — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Tips and calls are coming in and investigators are combing through other video, Saucier said.
    — Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 22 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
  • Aprocetu farmers rake the entire lot in the sun every hour of daylight.
    — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In the Niayes, fertile coastal lowlands between sand dunes and the Atlantic Ocean, two women rake the soil side by side amid a light breeze off the water.
    — Adrien Marotte, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 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
rifled
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Cite this Entry

“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifle. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rifle

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