Thesaurus results for SMALL ARMS

small arms

noun

plural of small arm

as in guns

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 small arms During the past few years, the Houthis have become less reliant on Iran for weapons, smuggling in drone components from Chinese companies and small arms from the Horn of Africa. —

Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026 The year is 1940 and the Second World War is in full swing, coming to Birmingham with a bang when a bomb falls on a small arms factory, killing everyone including a previously unseen member of the Shelby family, Agnes (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis). —

Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026 From the north and from the island’s southern highpoint, 550-foot Mount Suribachi, shells and small arms fire rained on the Marines, the Courant reported. —

Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026 Sort of small arms warfare, where they were harassed for months in one of these sad situations where the cops wouldn’t intervene. —

Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026 The Russia-Ukraine War began as a fairly standard 21st-century conventional war, marked by huge armored columns trying to take key cities and military installations, air assaults, close air support, and small arms gunbattles. —

Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025 Producer and colleague Monika Evstatieva and I were in that convoy, took small arms fire, but were unharmed. —

Tom Bowman, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025 Alkhatib warned that Hamas may try to retain small arms to exert control over pockets of Gaza and seek to influence any technocratic governing structure meant to reconstruct the enclave and pave the way for self-governance. —

Laura Kelly, The Hill, 6 Oct. 2025 Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag — each containing a plate capable of stopping small arms fire, according to prosecutors. —

Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arms

Noun

Wayans describes the film, which is being billed as the first romantic buddy-cop action comedy, as When Harry Met Sally with guns.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
The Journal Sentinel asked police departments in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine for reports from schools related to weapons possession, shots fired, terrorist threats and other disturbances that mentioned guns or other dangerous weapons.

— Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026