rifle

1 of 4

verb (1)

ri·​fle ˈrī-fəl How to pronounce rifle (audio)
rifled; rifling ˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
Synonyms of riflenext

transitive verb

1
: to ransack especially with the intent to steal
2
: to steal and carry away

intransitive verb

: to engage in ransacking and stealing
rifler
ˈrī-f(ə-)lər How to pronounce rifle (audio)
noun

rifle

2 of 4

verb (2)

rifled; rifling ˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)

transitive verb

: to cut spiral grooves into the bore of
rifled arms
rifled pipe

rifle

3 of 4

noun

1
a
: a shoulder weapon with a rifled bore
b
: a rifled artillery piece
2
rifles plural : soldiers armed with rifles

rifle

4 of 4

verb (3)

rifled; rifling ˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)

transitive verb

: to hit or throw (a ball) with great force or speed

Synonyms

Verb (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of rifle in a Sentence

Verb (1) rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
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.
Noun
Along with military-grade rifles capable of piercing through armored vehicles and airplanes, Dominican authorities found 22 other firearms, including Glock pistols, and 36,000 bullets of various calibers. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 The pup's paw got caught in the rifle's trigger, KRQE reported. — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
The Tar Heels rifled an inbounds pass down the right side of the court to Seth Trimble, who called timeout with 2.5 seconds left to set up UNC’s pivotal final attempt. — Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025 Following their early-season struggles, Los Angeles rifled off nine wins to make the postseason. — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rifle

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French rifler to scrape off, plunder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German riffilōn to saw, obsolete Dutch rijffelen to scrape

Verb (2)

perhaps from French rifler to scratch, file, from Middle French, to scrape, plunder

and Verb (3)

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1635, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (3)

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rifle was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing rifle

Rhymes for rifle

See All Rhymes for rifle

Browse Nearby Words

rifle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

rifle

1 of 4 verb
ri·​fle ˈrī-fəl How to pronounce rifle (audio)
rifled; rifling -f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
1
: to search through fast and roughly especially in order to steal
rifled the coat pockets for loose change
2
: steal entry 1 sense 2a
rifler
-f(ə-)lər How to pronounce rifle (audio)
noun

rifle

2 of 4 verb
rifled; rifling -f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
: to cut spiral grooves on the inside of a barrel of
rifled arms

rifle

3 of 4 noun
1
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

rifle

4 of 4 verb
rifled; rifling -f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
: to hit or throw a ball with great force
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on rifle

Nglish: Translation of rifle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rifle

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