rifles 1 of 2

noun

plural of rifle
as in shotguns

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rifles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rifle
as in searches
to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rifles
Verb
With four minutes until penalties, Spain venture forward, Cesc Fabregas slips in Iniesta, who rifles it home to win the World Cup. — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Before Poeltl can complete the double-team, Towns looks to the 3-point line then rifles a right-handed pass over his own head to Bridges for the easy two under the rim. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rifles
  1. muskets
  2. searches
  3. pistols
  4. combs
  5. scans
  6. rakes
Noun
  • Back then, students halted studies to pick up rifles, muskets, and bayonets.
    — Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2026
  • The new United States needed muskets, cannons, ammunition, uniforms, cloth, food and credit.
    — R. Grant Gilmore III, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
Definition of muskets
Verb
  • Those searches risk filtering out the candidates most likely to bring a perspective your bank lacks.
    — Paul Davis, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Chief financial officer Meghan Frank will provide interim oversight of Lululemon’s global brand and technology functions while the company searches for permanent leaders.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of searches
Noun
  • In 2017, a 16-year-old student armed with a rifle, pistols and a small grenade opened fire at a high school in southern France, wounding three students and the principal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • On his cellphone, according to the complaint, investigators found messages about drug trafficking and firearms, including devices capable of converting Glock pistols into a fully automatic machine gun.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of pistols
Verb
  • Another founder, Sheridan Clayborne, built an AI agent that combs the internet for the best credit card and banking deals, netting him thousands of dollars.
    — Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2026
  • Zayas also combs through the dark web, a criminal haven on the internet where anonymous threat actors try to cause real-world harm.
    — Heather Abbott, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Definition of combs
Verb
  • The surveillance tool scans thousands of pages of school board documents every 12 hours and flags anything controversial—from Title IX issues to curriculum changes.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The other person scans the code to connect and receive the files.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of scans
Verb
  • Plus, helpful cleaning gadgets like these pet hair remover carpet rakes and this handy robot vacuum are also steeply discounted right now.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Then, as the afternoon sunshine rakes across the river valley, the group will return to the Birdwing—where canvas and paints await, according to a news release.
    — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of rakes

Browse Nearby Words

riflemen
rifles
rifling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rifles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rifles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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