gunslinger
noun
gun·sling·er
ˈgən-ˌsliŋ-ər 
: a person noted for speed and skill in handling and shooting a gun especially in the American West
Examples of gunslinger in a Sentence
a gunslinger in the Wild West
Recent Examples on the Web
It was delivered by Oakland University, a commuter school north of Detroit, which knocked Kentucky out of the tournament with a hail of 3-pointers by Jack Gohlke, a 24-year-old graduate student with a widow’s peak and the same regard for shot selection as a gunslinger busting through saloon doors.
—
Billy Witz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The garrison town established in the 1840s was once dominated by outlaws and renegades like gunslinger John King Fisher.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024
The hero of the title comes straight out of gunslinger central casting: In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the patriarch of a dusty stretch of land hugged by the Rio Grande on two sides — a mine collapse has caused the river to split biblically around the property.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
The true story of the formerly enslaved man who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal comes to life on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an eight-episode series starring David Oyelowo as the storied gunslinger who arrested some 3,000 desperados without ever suffering a single wound.
—EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023
Six feet tall and 165 pounds in his prime, Gilbert lassoed a whiskey bottle from a gunslinger’s hand from a dozen feet away as a double for Richard Widmark in Edward Dmytryk’s Warlock (1959).
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024
Towering over the Max Motors car lot is a giant gunslinger in the sky, six-shooters drawn and in a bit of a bad mood, judging by his expression.
—Edward M. Eveld, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024
Rounding out the trio is the Ghoul, a near-immortal, disfigured gunslinger, played by Walton Goggins.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2024
The story is equal parts drama, murder mystery, and bloody gunslinger action.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2023
Billy Witz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The garrison town established in the 1840s was once dominated by outlaws and renegades like gunslinger John King Fisher.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024
The hero of the title comes straight out of gunslinger central casting: In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the patriarch of a dusty stretch of land hugged by the Rio Grande on two sides — a mine collapse has caused the river to split biblically around the property.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
The true story of the formerly enslaved man who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal comes to life on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an eight-episode series starring David Oyelowo as the storied gunslinger who arrested some 3,000 desperados without ever suffering a single wound.
—EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023
Six feet tall and 165 pounds in his prime, Gilbert lassoed a whiskey bottle from a gunslinger’s hand from a dozen feet away as a double for Richard Widmark in Edward Dmytryk’s Warlock (1959).
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2024
Towering over the Max Motors car lot is a giant gunslinger in the sky, six-shooters drawn and in a bit of a bad mood, judging by his expression.
—Edward M. Eveld, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024
Rounding out the trio is the Ghoul, a near-immortal, disfigured gunslinger, played by Walton Goggins.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2024
The story is equal parts drama, murder mystery, and bloody gunslinger action.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gunslinger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1920, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near gunslinger
Cite this Entry
“Gunslinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunslinger. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
gunslinger
noun
gun·sling·er
-ˌsliŋ-ər
: a person known for speed and skill in handling and shooting a gun especially in the American West
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