Synonyms
Examples of rifle in a Sentence
Verb (1)
rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Twelve rifles and pistols were recovered at his home when he was arrested Nov. 7 and police seized more than 15,000 bullets of various calibers, including the armor-piercing rounds.
—Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Then, moments after woozy No. 1 wide receiver Drake London left the field for the Falcons during the opening drive of extra minutes, Cousins rifled another of his many perfect throws for the night through Tampa Bay defenders.
—Terence Moore, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
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Noun
The volunteer accomplices included Bugsy Siegel’s publicist, mobster Meyer Lansky, Pee-wee Herman’s dad Milton Rubenfeld, and Frank Sinatra.
Many of the rifles and other arms came from Czechoslovakia, and were used by the Nazis.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Twelve rifles and pistols were recovered at his home when he was arrested Nov. 7 and police seized more than 15,000 bullets of various calibers, including the armor-piercing rounds.
—Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
The Cowboys would need some steep secondary help to stop the pair from rifling off big plays.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Then, moments after woozy No. 1 wide receiver Drake London left the field for the Falcons during the opening drive of extra minutes, Cousins rifled another of his many perfect throws for the night through Tampa Bay defenders.
—Terence Moore, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rifle
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Cite this Entry
“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rifle
2 of 4 verb
rifled; rifling
-f(ə-)liŋ 
: to cut spiral grooves on the inside of a barrel of
rifled arms
rifle
3 of 4 noun1
a
: a weapon with a long rifled barrel that is designed to be fired from the shoulder
b
: a rifled artillery piece
2
plural
: a body of soldiers armed with rifles
Etymology
Verb
Middle English riflen "to steal or carry away by force," from early French rifler "to scrape off, plunder"; of Germanic origin
Verb
perhaps from French rifler "to scratch, file," from early French, "to scrape off, plunder"
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