sniper

Definition of snipernext
as in gun
a person who shoots at another person from a hidden place The soldiers were attacked by a sniper.

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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 sniper Kirk was killed by a sniper perched on a rooftop more than 400 feet away, authorities said. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Their most obvious use was as sniper nests for shooting the ostriches. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 Storing explosive ammunition and stationing snipers in the middle of a busy traffic circle close to other, more secure military locations, including the Pentagon, strikes many observers as simultaneously dangerous and ridiculous. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep. 2026 One man recalls watching snipers kill Palestinians waiting in line for food after Israel blocked supplies from entering the North as a way to push people to the South. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026 As some 2,500 heavily armed police officers, soldiers and snipers entered through a maze of narrow streets, intense gunfire could be heard all around. — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Vyan uses logic and the help of friendly Kurdish commander from the Iraqi government forces in Mosul to locate the IS snipers preventing civilians from leaving the devastated city. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026 Mustafa, who was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child, said the film was inspired by his encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during the 2014 frontline battles, as female Kurdish fighters countered Islamic State attacks. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 The film is rooted in Mustafa’s encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during in 2014 as women moved into frontline positions to counter Islamic State attacks. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniper
Noun
  • The gun above School Girls’ mantelpiece is the skin-bleaching cream the girls refer to early in the play.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Washington had five previous felony convictions, including drug and weapons charges, and was not allowed to possess a gun.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Red neon tubes illuminated art works ranging from the disturbing (a black-and-white photograph of a person stuffing sausages in their mouth) to the mundane (a pastoral painting of a snowshoe-wearing rifleman).
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Idaho’s prison system has nearly completed execution chamber upgrades to carry out the death penalty by firing squad as the state’s lead method and will have a team of riflemen ready to go by the time a state law takes effect this summer.
    — Kevin Fixler April 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The gunner removes his tricorn hat and bows to another artillerist, giving him permission to load the cannon ball.
    — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This offseason, days before the Rams rocked the NFL by acquiring Garrett, Seattle quietly traded for Irv Charles, a special teams gunner from the New York Jets.
    — Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has long opposed the eradication, ever since a previous plan called for sharpshooters to take aim at the deer from helicopters.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • When Golden State added Zandalasini from Minnesota in the expansion draft in 2024, she was already known as a sharpshooter.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sniper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniper. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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