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.
Reacher and Green run into a hotel and persuade the staff to lock the doors, claiming there’s an active shooter outside. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 We were inducted into adolescence through active shooter drills and exit-route scans, carrying the unique anxiety of a youth caught in the crosshairs of a national crisis. — Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026 Security training as one solution Like physical hardening of schools, active shooter training happens before an actual event. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Most of the uses will be for circumstances such as medical emergencies rather than active shooter situations, Koenig said. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2026.

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