assault weapon

noun

Synonyms of assault weaponnext
: any of various automatic or semiautomatic firearms
especially : assault rifle

Examples of assault weapon 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.
The day before, the DOJ sued Denver over its assault weapons ban. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 20 May 2026 Gun sales in Virginia have surged in recent months ahead of a July 1 ban on the sale of assault weapons, according to data from the FBI. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 In June 1993, Looney provided a crucial vote on a bill to ban assault weapons that passed the Senate after an 18-18 tie. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026 Days before it was set to take effect, a judge in rural Virginia has temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a new assault weapons ban, ruling that the law is probably unconstitutional. — Liam Bowman, Washington Post, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for assault weapon

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assault weapon was in 1968

Browse Nearby Words

assault rifle
assault weapon
assay
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assault weapon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20weapon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on assault weapon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for assault weapon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assault weapon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All