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Synonyms

firing squad

American  

noun

  1. a military detachment assigned to execute a condemned person by shooting.

  2. a military detachment assigned to fire a salute at the burial of a person being honored.

firing squad British  

noun

  1. a small military detachment formed to implement a death sentence by shooting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of firing squad

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

One insider to the process has told me she had already decided to resign because she didn't have confidence in the board and viewed them as a "circular firing squad".

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

In 1867, as Paris withdrew support and Washington backed the nationalist cause, Maximilian drew his final breath before a Mexican firing squad.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

Randy Gardner, the brother of Ronnie Gardner, who was executed by firing squad in 2010, agrees with Antognini.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2025

The state asked the Supreme Court to toss out a lower court ruling after a 2022 trial that the electric chair and the firing squad are cruel and unusual punishments.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023

She looked like someone facing the firing squad and saying damn the blindfolds.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.