as in firearm
a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder
the soldiers keep their small arms securely in their holsters when not on patrol
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Recent Examples of small arm
Throughout their history, they have been proven vulnerable to small arms fire in urban combat.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
In the virtual panel discussion last week, union leaders described the Lake City facility as the largest producer of small arms ammunition for the armed forces.
—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
View gallery - 6 images With a simple switch of a magazine, the Drone Round is claimed to turn a standard NATO caliber small arm into a drone-killing weapon that combines the scattershot of a shotgun with the speed, power and rapid fire of an infantry assault rifle.
—
David Szondy
april 19,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
News reports said the helicopters faced small arms fire but made it out safely with the pilot.
—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small arm
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
In the virtual panel discussion last week, union leaders described the Lake City facility as the largest producer of small arms ammunition for the armed forces.
—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
View gallery - 6 images With a simple switch of a magazine, the Drone Round is claimed to turn a standard NATO caliber small arm into a drone-killing weapon that combines the scattershot of a shotgun with the speed, power and rapid fire of an infantry assault rifle.
—
David Szondy
april 19,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2026
News reports said the helicopters faced small arms fire but made it out safely with the pilot.
—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arm
Noun
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He has been charged with first-degree murder and felony firearm.
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Law enforcement later searched two locations in connection with the investigation into Hidrogo including a storage facility in Fort Worth where officers found 244 kilograms of meth with a purity level of 100 percent and more firearms.
Noun
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Officials said the gun violence took place from May 2025 to late April 2026 in a swath of the South Bronx.
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The man had a gun and refused to drop it when ordered to by police, the sheriff said.
Cite this Entry
“Small arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arm. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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