Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for bolt-action. Search instead for Foot+Action.

bolt-action

American  
[bohlt-ak-shuhn] / ˈboʊltˌæk ʃən /

adjective

  1. (of a rifle) equipped with a manually operated sliding bolt.


Etymology

Origin of bolt-action

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also said Mr Robinson's father had suspected the weapon matched a bolt-action rifle that had once belonged to the suspect's grandfather.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

Along with a bolt-action rifle that was abandoned in a wooded area, investigators also recovered ammunition that bore various markings, according to authorities.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

Teixeira, who lived with his mom and stepfather, kept a gun locker two feet from his bed, which contained handguns, bolt-action rifles and a military-style rifle with a high-capacity magazine.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2023

At the time of the search, Bertino allegedly possessed two pistols, a shotgun, a bolt-action rifle and two semiautomatic AR-15-style rifles with scopes.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2022

The other was a .22 like mine, only bolt-action, and mine is a pump.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "bolt-action" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com