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
Trevor Ball, a former US Army senior explosive ordnance disposal team member, told CNN that the gunfire heard in the footage was consistent with small arms and light weapons.
—
Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers used small arms to fire at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday.
—Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced the closure of a small arm within the State Department aimed at countering foreign disinformation campaigns, which Republicans increasingly criticized as silencing conservative voices online.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
These insights came from the Office of Net Assessment, a small arm of the Department of Defense that has, through its independent analyses, for decades played a vital role in informing senior Pentagon leaders’ strategic planning and policy priorities.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small arm
Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers used small arms to fire at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday.
—Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced the closure of a small arm within the State Department aimed at countering foreign disinformation campaigns, which Republicans increasingly criticized as silencing conservative voices online.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
These insights came from the Office of Net Assessment, a small arm of the Department of Defense that has, through its independent analyses, for decades played a vital role in informing senior Pentagon leaders’ strategic planning and policy priorities.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small arm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arm
Noun
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That’s about when Derrick Perry, the other Marine, pulled out his firearm as others screamed at Gille to drop the knife.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
27 July 2025
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The warrants would be state and local ones related to burglary, assault, possession of firearms, failure to appear, probation violations and other crimes, according to CBS News San Francisco.—
Kate Talerico,
Mercury News,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Local officers and highway patrol with what was apparently looked like guns drawn according to an eyewitness.—
Jenna Sundel
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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Mondal also told police his wife pointed a gun at him.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small arm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arm. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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