gunfire

noun

gun·​fire ˈgən-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce gunfire (audio)
: the firing of guns

Examples of gunfire in a Sentence

We heard gunfire in the distance.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
On Friday, the NYPD released bodycam footage showing officers arriving at the scene following the gunfire. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Cops were alerted to the shooting by ShotSpotter, a system of highly sensitive microphones positioned in the area designed to detect gunfire. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 But that approach also carried inherent risk for the hostages, some of whom would later be killed by Israeli strikes or gunfire. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Earlier in the exercise, 148 Battery controlled the naval gunfire of warships from NATO’s premier task group in Northern European waters, Standing NATO Maritime Group One. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gunfire

Word History

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunfire was in 1727

Rhymes for gunfire

See All Rhymes for gunfire

Browse Nearby Words

gunfighter
gunfire
gunflint
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunfire. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

gunfire

noun
gun·​fire -ˌfī(ə)r How to pronounce gunfire (audio)
: the firing of guns
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