firing squad
noun
1
: a detachment detailed to fire volleys over the grave of one buried with military honors
2
: a detachment detailed to carry out a sentence of death by shooting
Examples of firing squad in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Before Honie, the most recent execution was by firing squad against Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010.
—
Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Utah has not carried out an execution by firing squad since the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
South Carolina has put prisoners to death by by firing squad twice in 2025.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2025
In 1918, Bolshevik secret police forced Anastasia Romanov and her imperial family into a damp basement to face a merciless firing squad.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firing squad
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.
Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Utah has not carried out an execution by firing squad since the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
South Carolina has put prisoners to death by by firing squad twice in 2025.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2025
In 1918, Bolshevik secret police forced Anastasia Romanov and her imperial family into a damp basement to face a merciless firing squad.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firing squad
Cite this Entry
“Firing squad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firing%20squad. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share