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.
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
A Pentagon contract award often is a starting gun for Lockheed to gather proposals from parts makers, including Boeing, L3Harris and others.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
When the 43-year-old got out of her car in the garage one morning in December after dropping her children off at school, she was even carrying a gun for self-protection.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
“The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 acted as the starting gun for the current AI race,” Austin Pickle, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said in a note Monday.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 17, 2025
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
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.
