guns 1 of 2

noun

plural of gun
as in weapons
large firearms (as cannons or rockets) the field commander called for the big guns to be deployed for the full-scale assault

Synonyms & Similar Words

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guns

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gun
as in shoots
to strike with a missile from a gun traded stories of the Wild West, when outlaws gunned men down in broad daylight and in cold blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 guns
Noun
Everything breaks, guns go off, an illusionist loses his clothes and jumps fully nude into the crowd — all within the first five minutes. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 As chief of acute care surgery, Firas Madbak sees firsthand the toll exacted by guns. — Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 However, according to the report, violence is increasing in museum thefts, with thieves using instruments such as dynamite, guns, and sledgehammers to gain access to treasures and deter employees from interfering. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026 Finally, in June, a pair of men broke into Tahmasbi’s yard wielding guns and a large hammer. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Supporters of the proposal said during the meeting and in writing that the site would be a safe place for young people to learn to handle guns, as well as a destination site for responsible gun owners. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 Police will investigate whether the guns were used in any previous crimes. — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Jones claimed for years that the 2012 killing of 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was staged with actors as part of a government plot to seize Americans’ guns. — Reuters, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Separately, the department recently decided against challenging a court ruling that struck down regulations on firearm suppressors and certain guns. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
Both guns the suspect used in the shooting were acquired legally in San Antonio in 2017, Davis said. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026 The military seemingly guns her down during a confrontation with Hopper and Eleven. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026 One dog manages to escape the store, but Noem quickly catches up to it and brutally guns it down. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guns
  1. weapons
  2. shoots
  3. artillery
  4. drills
  5. weaponry
Noun
  • Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • International calls for greater restrictions on autonomous weapons systems come as negotiators prepare to meet in Geneva in November to strengthen the existing Convention on Conventional Weapons.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of weapons
Verb
  • Later, the dual protagonist perspectives come into play during a police chase when Lucia takes the wheel while Jason shoots out the window.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Even during the rut, Infalt shoots most of his mature bucks in the thick stuff near where deer sleep.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shoots
Noun
  • Repkon said other countries were already using its machinery to build an older, simpler model of the artillery shells.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Nearby, blueberry bushes cover old foxholes, trenches and deep craters from artillery fire.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of artillery
Verb
  • Berrios is sidelined right now by a soft tissue injury but was running pretty well on the side of team drills Monday.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Other notes from Panthers-Jaguars practice First-round pick rookie offensive tackle Monroe Freeling held his own in one-on-one drills as well as team drills in practice on Wednesday.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of drills
Noun
  • Impressed Goodness, does this offense have impressive weaponry for Johnson to play with.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ahmad described the challenges of providing care at a Gaza hospital full of people wounded by military weaponry.
    — Leila Fadel, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaponry

Browse Nearby Words

gunrunners
guns
gunsel
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Cite this Entry

“Guns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guns. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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