active shooter

noun

plural active shooters
: a person who is illegally using a firearm to kill or try to kill people especially in a public place : a person who is shooting at people
Stunned shoppers and mall employees initially mistook the sound of glass breaking for gunshots, leading to false rumors of an active shooter.—Caitlin Antonios
active shooter drills

Examples of active shooter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Alerts reached phones across campus warning of an active shooter. — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026 Moviegoers were ushered out of a downtown Boise theater Saturday night following reports of an active shooter. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 3 Aug. 2026 Police in Idaho confirmed there are fatalities and injuries after the report of an active shooter near an In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls on Saturday. — Vanessa Navarrete, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 Mithril Defense is currently designing pepper-spraying drones, inspired by the Ukrainian military’s successful drone program, that the company says can respond to an active shooter within seconds. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for active shooter

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of active shooter was in 1999

Rhymes for active shooter

See All Rhymes for active shooter

Browse Nearby Words

active service
active shooter
active site
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Cite this Entry

“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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