gun for
Britishverb
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to search for in order to reprimand, punish, or kill
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to try earnestly for
he was gunning for promotion
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Pursue relentlessly so as to overcome or destroy. For example, He was sure they were gunning for him and asked for police protection , or The senator felt that the reporters were gunning for him with that article about his brother . [ Slang ; late 1800s]
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Go after in earnest, try hard to obtain. For example, He's been gunning for a raise all year . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
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.
“While Bessent sought to calm the bond market, he may instead have fired the starting gun for the next leg of the ‘hard money’ trade,” Weibel said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Financials had been under the gun for most of the past year, and when compared with the S&P 500, they had reached a historic low in early June.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Think of this deal—formally called a “memorandum of understanding”—as a starting gun for talks that could yield a lasting peace.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
Jordan said almost as soon they arrived, one of them, Will, who was dressed as rapper Soulja Boy "but had a gun for some reason", came up to him to ask about his costume.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
He told his assistant and ammo bearer to each bring a spare machine gun for him, and as much ammo as they could possibly carry.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
