assault rifle

noun

Synonyms of assault riflenext
: any of various intermediate-range, magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47) that can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire
also : a rifle that resembles a military assault rifle but is designed to allow only semiautomatic fire

Examples of assault rifle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Bettison says the man picked up an assault rifle and pointed it toward officers, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between police and the man. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 Another misunderstanding at the heart of conversations on gun reform is the belief that assault rifles cause a disproportionate number of homicides, when more deaths are attributable to handguns. — Shelby Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Then in 1989, an assailant attacked an elementary school in Stockton, California, using an assault rifle to kill five people and wound 29, prompting public outcry and calls to restrict such weapons. — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 According to the complaint, Mohamud knowingly received a firearm and ammunition, including a Norinco AK-47 assault rifle and approximately 200 live rounds of ammunition, to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism. — Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for assault rifle

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assault rifle was in 1950

Rhymes for assault rifle

See All Rhymes for assault rifle

Browse Nearby Words

assaultive
assault rifle
assault weapon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assault rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

assault rifle

noun
: any of various especially automatic rifles designed for military use

called also assault weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on assault rifle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for assault rifle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assault rifle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All