gun for

verb

1. to search for in order to reprimand, punish, or kill

2. to try earnestly for

   he was gunning for promotion

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Go after in earnest, try hard to obtain. For example, He's been gunning for a raise all year . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

They had to train with a gun, for example, and, more important, let go of the need for punch line.

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To get a picture in your head, rewatch the original “Top Gun” for NTC’s cameo when Tom Cruise’s Maverick rides toward the house of Kelly McGillis’ Charlie along the complex’s Roosevelt Road with the arcaded buildings perfectly framing the shot.

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Serafini entered the Spohrs’ Lake Tahoe home June 5, 2021, where prosecutors said he secretly waited with a .22 caliber gun for several hours for the victims to return before ambushing them.

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The starting gun for the first heat had gone off more than four hours earlier, and new heats were heading out every hour on the hour.

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Video from the body-worn cameras of several responding officers was obstructed by a fence around Lauren’s yard; officers could be heard yelling at Lauren to drop her gun for several minutes.

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Related Words

• check 
• comb 
• examine 
• explore 
• go through 
• hunt 
• hunt for www.thesaurus.com
• inspect 
• investigate 
• look 
• probe 
• ransack 
• scan 
• scour 
• scout 
• scrutinize 
• seek 
• sift