assault rifle

noun

: any of various intermediate-range, magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47) that can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire
also : a rifle that resembles a military assault rifle but is designed to allow only semiautomatic fire

Examples of assault rifle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As that vehicle advanced toward the compound, some of the commandos, dressed in white T-shirts and armed with assault rifles and carrying military backpacks, pointed guns at the police. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025 American troops patrol the area with assault rifles, where IEDs and chemical weapons await them. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025 Hamas fighters armed with assault rifles pushed back the crowds as a convoy of vehicles carrying the three Israeli hostages entered the square. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025 Images of soldiers with assault rifles streaming out of military helicopters and then trying to take over the National Assembly building caused widespread shock and outrage in South Korea, a country with a long history of political violence and military rule. Qasim Nauman, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assault rifle 

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assault rifle was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near assault rifle

Cite this Entry

“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

assault rifle

noun
: any of various especially automatic rifles designed for military use

called also assault weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on assault rifle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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