assault rifle

noun

Definition of assault riflenext
as in assault weapon

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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 assault rifle When Jonah was 3, sound asleep in his room at his older sister’s birthday party, bullets from an assault rifle cracked through the windows of Jamon’s house and left holes above his bed. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026 About a mile and a half away from the shooting, police were seen investigating an SUV near 44th Street and Wolcott Avenue, where an AK-47-style assault rifle was lying on the ground nearby. — Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 27 May 2026 There’s an encased AK-47 and a grenade in another area; in the magazine of the assault rifle, which is wrapped in $1 bills, are items humans kill for, such as cocaine, diamonds, and gold. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 Separately, a female Channel-3 presenter, Mobina Nasiri, addressed viewers while grasping an assault rifle with both hands. — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for assault rifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault rifle
  1. assault weapon
  2. machine gun
  3. submachine gun
  4. machine pistol
  5. tommy gun
  6. rifle
Noun
  • Valdez was booked on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of an assault weapon and possession of a suppressor.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sheriff’s officials said he previously had been arrested on suspicion of possessing an assault weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of assault weapon
Noun
  • The Nazis appear to be constructing bunkers and fortifying machine gun nests here at the border.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors say one of the weapons used in the shooting was a semiautomatic firearm modified to function as a machine gun.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 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
  • 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
Definition of tommy gun
Noun
  • Per the initial information, someone shot back from inside the park, and officers later found two sets of shell casings in the park and across the street, including rifle casings.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On March 12, a gunman drove through the halls of Temple Israel with several explosives and a rifle in his vehicle before being killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement on March 12.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rifle

Browse Nearby Words

assaultiveness
assault rifle
assault rifles
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault%20rifle. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on assault rifle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assault rifle

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