Thesaurus results for SMALL ARMS

small arms

noun

plural of small arm

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 small arms Those women and girls made millions of rounds of small arms ammunition, as well as cannonballs and explosives for the war effort. —

Christopher Derose, CBS News, 26 June 2026 While some videos include a soundtrack of small arms fire, there is little sign of the mobile fire groups of volunteers armed with anti-aircraft machine guns which Russia is now deploying at scale. —

David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arms

Noun

But police say the ranger approaching the car would ultimately lead to a sprawling investigation involving drugs, guns, mysterious chemicals, a missing woman and local and federal investigators turning a Philadelphia home inside out.

— Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
State lawmakers said these rapid-fire guns are not needed for self-defense but can be a weapon of mass murder.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of guns

Noun

Scenes involving firearms alarmed distributors still grappling with the aftermath of the Columbine massacre, while the film’s October release via Newmarket was further complicated by a trailer prominently featuring an airplane crash just weeks after the September 11 attacks.

— José Salazar, IndieWire, 22 June 2026
Proper’s mother called local police in Ohio about his recent behavior, which included communicating with the group and buying firearms.

— Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026