as in guns
a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder
the soldiers keep their small arms securely in their holsters when not on patrol
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Recent Examples of small arms
Ciber’s unit has five such machines, used sparingly, and is preparing another, faster robot, capable of covering 10 miles an hour, to carry Kalashnikov small arms into battle.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
In some cases, small arms fire and high rate-of-fire machine guns have proved effective against low-flying drones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Throughout their history, they have been proven vulnerable to small arms fire in urban combat.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
In the virtual panel discussion last week, union leaders described the Lake City facility as the largest producer of small arms ammunition for the armed forces.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
News reports said the helicopters faced small arms fire but made it out safely with the pilot.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
The suspension applies to at least a part of SIG Sauer, a major small arms maker based in Switzerland and Germany.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
The year is 1940 and the Second World War is in full swing, coming to Birmingham with a bang when a bomb falls on a small arms factory, killing everyone including a previously unseen member of the Shelby family, Agnes (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis).
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
In some cases, small arms fire and high rate-of-fire machine guns have proved effective against low-flying drones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Throughout their history, they have been proven vulnerable to small arms fire in urban combat.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
In the virtual panel discussion last week, union leaders described the Lake City facility as the largest producer of small arms ammunition for the armed forces.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
News reports said the helicopters faced small arms fire but made it out safely with the pilot.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
The suspension applies to at least a part of SIG Sauer, a major small arms maker based in Switzerland and Germany.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
The year is 1940 and the Second World War is in full swing, coming to Birmingham with a bang when a bomb falls on a small arms factory, killing everyone including a previously unseen member of the Shelby family, Agnes (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis).
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arms
Noun
-
Last year, Baltimore also took aim at Glocks by suing the manufacturer of the guns over allegations that the company violated the state's Gun Industry Accountability Act and contributed to the gun violence crisis.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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Armed guards were placed outside the compound, and children were instructed to remove water pistols and miniature guns from their Lego sets, in case the feds argued that weapons were encouraged on the compound.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Abraham Lincoln posted guards outside, but inside they were dressed in civilian clothes and hid their firearms.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
Prescription medications were the most common method used in nonfatal suicide attempts, including opioids, while firearms were most common in fatal attempts.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arms. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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