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
Orbitals has its fair share of battles, with one player controlling the guns while the other steers the ship to take down turrets and incoming asteroids. — George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Sticking to your guns can backfire as Mars and Saturn square off. — Usa Today, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 In a video posted by the Los Angeles Police Department in 2023, the device is shown examining a crime scene for guns and explosives. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 After the Annunciation Catholic Church mass shooting in Minneapolis, there were loud calls for action on guns. — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Perry is also charged with possessing five guns at a safe in his father’s Clear Lake home. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 The anti-aircraft guns and rifles of both Iran and Iraq had burst into action. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 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
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
  • Lebanese soldiers deployed there are tasked with preventing armed non-state actors, like Hezbollah, from coming in; confiscating any weapons and remnants of war; and restoring state authority.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • By the end of 2010, the TSA had deployed around 500 machines designed to detect non-metallic weapons and explosives, the TSA's website said.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 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
  • These firms are now essentially in charge of crafting American defense policy on artificial intelligence software, autonomous weaponry, and the future of warfare.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Longtime fans will feel right at home with the classic platforming, challenging boss fights, and unique weaponry.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 26 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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