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

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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 Rahaf swings her prosthetics to the song, and at one point, wraps her small arms around Accurso’s neck — following the song’s instructions and pretending to be asleep. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 Those roads and trails are often where vehicles become vulnerable to artillery, drones, mines, and small arms fire. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026 The roadmap speaks of the new administration empowering individual Palestinians to keep their small arms. — Dan Williams, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 Firefly enables precision strikes, achieving 2-7 feet accuracy from high altitudes (600-2000+ feet), thereby reducing vulnerability to small arms fire and jamming. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The area is also often used for smuggling of wildlife and small arms, the report says. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 Those women and girls made millions of rounds of small arms ammunition, as well as cannonballs and explosives for the war effort. — Christopher Derose, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Ciber’s unit has five such machines, used sparingly, and is preparing another, faster robot, capable of covering 10 miles an hour, to carry Kalashnikov small arms into battle. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 In some cases, small arms fire and high rate-of-fire machine guns have proved effective against low-flying drones. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for small arms

Noun

The man was pulled from the vehicle and arrested while officers had guns drawn.

— Austin Turner, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
From massage guns and red light therapy panels to LED face masks and lymphatic drainage devices, consumers today can choose from hundreds of wellness gadgets promising to address every bodily concern, at every budget.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of guns

Noun

Advocates tout the measure as the most comprehensive update in a decade to the state's firearms laws.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Six additional states require registration of some firearms, such as handguns or those defined as assault weapons, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of firearms

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small arm

small arms

small beer

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“Small arms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20arms. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of small arms

noun

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