as in firearm
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small arm
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
See All Example Sentences for small arm
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
See All Example Sentences for small arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arm
Noun
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Investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation allege the firearm used in the attack had been purchased by his father despite an earlier concern from law enforcement about the teen.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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In 2018, he was sentenced to another 10 years for possession of a firearm as a felon.—
Jim Beaugez,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Kennedy, who is not a student at the university, was out on bond after a September arrest for having a gun on campus, according to court records.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
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Shooter entered arena with two guns According to police, the shooter was a licensed gun owner and had a permit to carry out of Florida.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arm. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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