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Synonyms

gunning

American  
[guhn-ing] / ˈgʌn ɪŋ /

noun

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

  2. the hunting of game with guns.


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.

See Examples For:

Jurors in the highly anticipated murder trial of Luigi Mangione, charged with gunning down a health insurance executive, will receive anonymity, a judge said on Tuesday.

From Barron's Aug. 11, 2026

The congressional seat Galindo is gunning for represents TX-35, a newly redrawn district that encompasses part of the San Antonio metro area and a slice of rural Texas to the south and east.

From Slate May 22, 2026

Ellison is gunning to get the deal done before this fall.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 9, 2026

The Huskies had been gunning for their third in four seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 8, 2026

Winning jockeys are daring jockeys, capable of gunning a horse through the narrowest hole with damn-the- torpedoes bravado.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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