machine gun 1 of 2

noun

Definition of machine gunnext
as in machine pistol

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machine-gun

2 of 2

verb

as in to tommy-gun

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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 machine gun
Noun
Miller was arrested Tuesday after a traffic stop where authorities found him allegedly in possession of two handguns equipped with a machine gun conversion device, according to a federal complaint. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 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
Verb
As seen in a recent action in Kupiansk, machine-gun robots can provide suppressive fire so the others can get through. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz. — Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for machine gun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machine gun
  1. machine pistol
  2. tommy-gun
  3. submachine gun
  4. shotgun
  5. tommy gun
  6. destroy
  7. assault rifle
  8. kill
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
Verb
  • His tommy-gun dialogue, much of it laced with withering invective and punctuated with profanity, started a shift in the language of both theater and movies in this country.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of tommy-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
Verb
  • There have been sets with three tight ends, formations that start under center and some that use formation shifts to move from a single-back set to shotgun.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Westman had decorated the assault rifle and shotgun with hate speech in ways that aligned with the dark underbelly of alt-right meme culture that regularly disparages people of color, Jewish people, the LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.
    — Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of shotgun
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
Verb
  • Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Noun
  • Then in 1989, an assailant attacked an elementary school in Stockton, California, using an assault rifle to kill five people and wound 29, prompting public outcry and calls to restrict such weapons.
    — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • According to the complaint, Mohamud knowingly received a firearm and ammunition, including a Norinco AK-47 assault rifle and approximately 200 live rounds of ammunition, to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism.
    — Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault rifle
Verb
  • When an unplanned blast kills a boy from the village, the elders take advance compensation to keep the peace.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Zelenskyy said 23 people were killed in the attack, including four children.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of kill

Browse Nearby Words

machined
machine gun
machine-gun
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Cite this Entry

“Machine gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machine%20gun. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on machine gun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about machine gun

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