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Synonyms

gunning

American  
[guhn-ing] / ˈgʌn ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act, practice, or art of shooting with guns; gun; gunnery.

  2. the hunting of game with guns. gun.

gunning British  
/ ˈɡʌnɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of shooting with guns

  2. the art, practice, or act of hunting game with guns

"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 gunning

First recorded in 1555–65; gun 1 + -ing 1

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.

And as companies get better at collecting and analyzing personal data, they aren’t just gunning for the money coming out of your wallet — they’re controlling how much goes into it, too.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Unlike most of them, he is gunning to be a CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

When “Industry” premiered in 2020, Down and Kay were focused on young, aspiring traders, green to the game and gunning for a coveted spot on the Pierpoint trading floor.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

A man accused of impersonating a federal agent in a bid to allegedly free Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down the CEO of United Healthcare in 2024, has been arrested.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Now the two dogs raced each other, both gunning for the same target.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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.