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
When Whitehead reentered the Toyota, the man in the backseat got out and pointed a rifle at him, records said. — Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 Authorities previously said unspent casings found with a rifle near the university had engraved messages on them. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 July 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
  • But aside from dispatching shotgun-toting police agents to keep an eye on them, Venezuelan authorities mostly ignored the protesters.
    — John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2026
  • Popham murdered Elaine on November 1, 1979, after striking her from behind with frying pans, rendering her unconscious, and then shooting her in the head with Bunyard’s shotgun in the garage.
    — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
Definition of shotgun
Verb
  • To search the restaurant inspections, type in a keyword or restaurant name.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • When Claudia’s ghost rips into Louis and Lestat with a miasma of rage and despair, Anderson and Reid’s eyes search for each other across the room, reflecting the unexpected agony of this experience and the regret of putting Claudia through this.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 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
  • The site had been cordoned off by daybreak Monday as dozens of Thai forensic officers combed for clues about what caused the fire.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • By Monday morning, the site had been cordoned off as dozens of Thai forensic officers combed through the burned remains for clues about what caused the fire.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 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
  • In another video posted on Instagram on June 11, Neill was seen raking an olive tree.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • The vision not only to play a raking diagonal pass for Zinedine Zidane to volley home, but to see the future of the game itself.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 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

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Cite this Entry

“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifle. Accessed 17 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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