matchlock

noun

Definition of matchlocknext
as in musket

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of matchlock The Ottomans deployed field artillery and Janissary infantry armed with matchlocks in a defensive formation called tabur jangi, in which carts and wagons were used to build barricades on the battlefield. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 The birth of ‘gunpowder warfare’ can be traced back to the 15th century and the invention of the matchlock gun, the first mechanical firing device. — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026 Guns are a part of American life, and have been since the very beginning, from the matchlock muskets arming the earliest colonies to the Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles of the Old West to the Glock handgun of today. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2018 First-generation matchlock rifles, tanks, and aircraft had major limitations but improved over time. — Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for matchlock
  1. musket
  2. flintlock
  3. smoothbore
  4. harquebus
  5. shotgun
  6. culverin
  7. blunderbuss
  8. firearm
Noun
  • The alleged texts between the boys, who attended Switzerland Point Middle School, contained information about building a shotgun and musket, as well as obtaining zip ties, per the arrest report.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original.
    — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of musket
Noun
  • Smoke billowed from his flintlock and Rhoades didn’t see where the buck ran after the shot.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Modern gun technologies are far, far more deadly than the one-shot flintlocks of the 18th century—shouldn’t that matter?
    — Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023
Definition of flintlock
Noun
  • Both tanks mount 120-125 mm smoothbore cannons capable of engaging armored vehicles at long range.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • At least three states — Hawaii, Ohio and North Dakota — treat a smoothbore musket the same as an AK-47 or AR-15.
    — Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Definition of smoothbore
Noun
  • To put that in perspective, when Beretta started making arquebus barrels, Michelangelo was still working in Rome.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of harquebus
Noun
  • The quarterback has worked diligently to change his shotgun stance, now putting his left foot in front of his right, and has sped up his decision making to get the ball to playmakers in space.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • According to court records, Silvia purchased a shotgun that year and then went to Woodard's Orlando-area home, where his wife had been living since their separation two months earlier.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shotgun
Noun
  • Researchers recently found medieval cannonballs from culverins, an early form of cannon, that were most likely used by Vlad the Impaler, during his bloody battle in 1461 with the Ottoman Turks.
    — Fox News, Fox News, 5 Aug. 2019
Definition of culverin
Noun
  • Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.
    — Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Cost cutting ‘blunderbuss’ DOGE is part of a long line of presidential efforts to take an ax to the administrative state.
    — Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Definition of blunderbuss
Noun
  • Petersen allegedly deferred to a male sergeant’s expertise on topics including firearms and internal affairs while dismissing Kennon’s expertise in other areas.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Police are warning people to secure firearms and lock their car doors.
    — Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of firearm

Browse Nearby Words

matchless
matchlock
matchlocks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Matchlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/matchlock. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on matchlock

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about matchlock

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