tommy gun 1 of 2

noun

Definition of tommy gunnext
as in machine gun

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tommy-gun

2 of 2

verb

as in to machine-gun

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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 tommy gun
Noun
Gunfire disrupts the silence as Raya emerges through smoke, armed with a tommy gun. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026 Gauging from the trailer, this grisly period piece appears to be set in the South with Jordan starring in a dual role as a pair of twins, at least one of whom gets to spray bullets with a retro tommy gun. — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025 The image of a mask-wearing authoritarian pointing a tommy gun at first looks like irresistible kitsch but now seems disturbingly accurate for the COVID apocalypse. — Armond White, National Review, 20 Aug. 2021
Verb
His tommy-gun dialogue, much of it laced with withering invective and punctuated with profanity, started a shift in the language of both theater and movies in this country. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tommy gun
  1. machine gun
  2. machine-gun
  3. submachine gun
  4. machine pistol
  5. assault rifle
  6. assault weapon
Noun
  • According to prosecutors, a group of gunmen later tracked Bowman to Los Angeles in 2022, then stalked and ambushed him at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds from multiple weapons, including a machine gun.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
  • In the hours that followed, a cart fixed with a rapid-fire machine gun advanced through town with impunity, like a primitive tank, firing at will on the largely un-armed Black residents.
    — Lee Cowan, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Definition of machine gun
Verb
  • And the Israeli army remains a few miles south, its presence marked by the occasional plume of smoke where its artillery hits, and the rip of machine-gun fire.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • Armed guards patrolled federal buildings; machine-gun-toting snipers perched on rooftops.
    — Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Definition of machine-gun
Noun
  • On the roof, a three-year-old boy from Chile plays with a toy submachine gun, pointing it at anyone who comes within range.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Police learned Pyles owns a handgun and a submachine gun, according to charging documents.
    — Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Definition of submachine gun
Noun
  • One casing is a 9mm caliber, likely a pistol, or a machine pistol or a submachine gun, Weir said.
    — Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 26 June 2024
  • Deputies also allegedly found a MAC-10 machine pistol and a 9 mm handgun under the passenger seat.
    — Jason Green, The Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2019
Definition of machine pistol
Noun
  • Henrichsen reportedly had an AR-15 assault rifle and knives in the trailer with him.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • Nicolas Cage headlines through the Nick Cage Event Pass running June 25 to July 23, whose free track hands out the AN-94 assault rifle and Executioner's Duet melee weapon.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of assault rifle
Noun
  • On June 19, 2022, Richard Dixon opened fire on two individuals using an AR-style assault weapon, according to a release from the Queens County District Attorney in New York City.
    — Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Gun sales in Virginia have surged in recent months ahead of a July 1 ban on the sale of assault weapons, according to data from the FBI.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Definition of assault weapon

Browse Nearby Words

tomfoolery
tommy gun
tommy-gun
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Cite this Entry

“Tommy gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tommy%20gun. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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