1
: something (such as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy
2
: a means of contending against another
Examples of weapon in a Sentence
Noun
assault with a deadly weapon
The pitcher's slider is his most effective weapon.
a new weapon in the fight against cancer
The mayor's campaign unleashed its secret weapon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2024
He has now been charged with murder, first-degree robbery on a transit passenger and use of a deadly weapon.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as Russian President Vladimir Putin has racked up win after win.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Archaeologist José Miguel Osuna did a detailed analysis of the weapon and identified it as a 1,000-year-old Islamic sword.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
The indicators were grouped into eight categories: survival supplies and resources, population density, medical services, weapons and security, gas and vehicle supplies, climate, access to fresh water and access to food.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
The idea is a generation of new weapons that would learn to evade Russian air defenses and reconfigure themselves if some drones in the swarm were shot down.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Iran, for example, ships drones and other weapons to Russia across the Caspian Sea, where the United States has little power to stop transfers.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Raymundo Duran, 47, was arrested after being pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on suspicion of DUI and weapons possession, then was subsequently identified by Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives as the suspect in the shooting of Deputy Samuel Aispuro, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2024
Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024
And the Polish prime minister announced a halt to weapon exports to Ukraine.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2023
As a result, Russia has since been unable to send fighter jets or other aircraft over vast stretches of the country that weapons shipments traverse.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
Fact check: Image shows aftermath of SpaceX launch, not weapon starting Hawaii fires
The U.S. has provided more than just military assistance as well.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
Unlike a pocket knife or weapon someone might regularly carry, taking a knife from home would require advanced planning, prosecutors say.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2023
Another officer had a taser ready, while the third officer had no taser or weapon out, Fields added.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 30 Sep. 2020
Recent reports, though, have claimed rubber bullets are still being used, and tracking which weapons individual police departments use is difficult.
—David Z. Morris, Fortune, 4 June 2020
Each crime fit the same modus operandi including the suspect’s build and weapon description, the report said.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018
Noun
He is also charged with three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2024
He has now been charged with murder, first-degree robbery on a transit passenger and use of a deadly weapon.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as Russian President Vladimir Putin has racked up win after win.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024
Archaeologist José Miguel Osuna did a detailed analysis of the weapon and identified it as a 1,000-year-old Islamic sword.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
The indicators were grouped into eight categories: survival supplies and resources, population density, medical services, weapons and security, gas and vehicle supplies, climate, access to fresh water and access to food.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024
The idea is a generation of new weapons that would learn to evade Russian air defenses and reconfigure themselves if some drones in the swarm were shot down.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Iran, for example, ships drones and other weapons to Russia across the Caspian Sea, where the United States has little power to stop transfers.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Raymundo Duran, 47, was arrested after being pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on suspicion of DUI and weapons possession, then was subsequently identified by Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives as the suspect in the shooting of Deputy Samuel Aispuro, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2024
Verb
The deputy had her pepper spray, Taser and weapon on her as Ruffin escaped and was able to fire three shots at him.
—Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024
And the Polish prime minister announced a halt to weapon exports to Ukraine.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2023
As a result, Russia has since been unable to send fighter jets or other aircraft over vast stretches of the country that weapons shipments traverse.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
Fact check: Image shows aftermath of SpaceX launch, not weapon starting Hawaii fires
The U.S. has provided more than just military assistance as well.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
Unlike a pocket knife or weapon someone might regularly carry, taking a knife from home would require advanced planning, prosecutors say.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2023
Another officer had a taser ready, while the third officer had no taser or weapon out, Fields added.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 30 Sep. 2020
Recent reports, though, have claimed rubber bullets are still being used, and tracking which weapons individual police departments use is difficult.
—David Z. Morris, Fortune, 4 June 2020
Each crime fit the same modus operandi including the suspect’s build and weapon description, the report said.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weapon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near weapon
Cite this Entry
“Weapon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weapon. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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