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
Relevance
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
Sort of small arms warfare, where they were harassed for months in one of these sad situations where the cops wouldn’t intervene.
—
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
The Russia-Ukraine War began as a fairly standard 21st-century conventional war, marked by huge armored columns trying to take key cities and military installations, air assaults, close air support, and small arms gunbattles.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
Producer and colleague Monika Evstatieva and I were in that convoy, took small arms fire, but were unharmed.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Alkhatib warned that Hamas may try to retain small arms to exert control over pockets of Gaza and seek to influence any technocratic governing structure meant to reconstruct the enclave and pave the way for self-governance.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 6 Oct. 2025
Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag — each containing a plate capable of stopping small arms fire, according to prosecutors.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Two months later, the group launched more than two dozen attacks across northeastern Syria, relying on a combination of guerrilla tactics, including small arms fire, ambushes, assassinations, and improvised explosive devices targeting military checkpoints and government vehicles.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
From small arms to nuclear platforms, China has unveiled a new generation of weapons across every domain of warfare on Wednesday at a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Iraq had plenty of small arms and ammunition, which could kill Americans but would often plink harmlessly off their armored vehicles.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
The Russia-Ukraine War began as a fairly standard 21st-century conventional war, marked by huge armored columns trying to take key cities and military installations, air assaults, close air support, and small arms gunbattles.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
Producer and colleague Monika Evstatieva and I were in that convoy, took small arms fire, but were unharmed.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Alkhatib warned that Hamas may try to retain small arms to exert control over pockets of Gaza and seek to influence any technocratic governing structure meant to reconstruct the enclave and pave the way for self-governance.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 6 Oct. 2025
Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag — each containing a plate capable of stopping small arms fire, according to prosecutors.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Two months later, the group launched more than two dozen attacks across northeastern Syria, relying on a combination of guerrilla tactics, including small arms fire, ambushes, assassinations, and improvised explosive devices targeting military checkpoints and government vehicles.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
From small arms to nuclear platforms, China has unveiled a new generation of weapons across every domain of warfare on Wednesday at a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Iraq had plenty of small arms and ammunition, which could kill Americans but would often plink harmlessly off their armored vehicles.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arms
Noun
-
Officers in a helicopter located the car at an undisclosed location in South San Jose and with guns deployed, pulled over the driver and arrested him there.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Across California, and the nation, citizens and noncitizens alike have reported being beaten and harassed, having guns pointed at them without provocation and being detained without basic rights for days.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, former Federal Air Marshal Peter Johnson — who founded Archway Defense, which has trained state, local and federal law enforcement in firearms for the past decade — told WCCO the street is not the place to challenge a federal agent's orders.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The container had 18 rifles, five handguns, firearms magazines, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition and a silencer that had been shipped from Miami.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arms. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
