Examples of rifle in a Sentence
Verb (1)
rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
Recent Examples on the Web
Zak Keefer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Without Jeanty being able to rifle off chunk yardage on downs, the team will remain one-dimensional behind the arm of Smith.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Attorneys for the inmates say the three volunteers with rifles in the second firing squad execution nearly missed Mikal Mahdi's heart.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rifle
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Verb
Then Josh Allen flexed in the fourth quarter — escaping the pocket for a 27-yard scramble before rifling a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid one play later — to pull away for the 31-19 victory.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Without Jeanty being able to rifle off chunk yardage on downs, the team will remain one-dimensional behind the arm of Smith.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Soldiers with automatic rifles were also seen patrolling the scene, AFP reported.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Attorneys for the inmates say the three volunteers with rifles in the second firing squad execution nearly missed Mikal Mahdi's heart.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rifle
Cite this Entry
“Rifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rifle
2 of 4 verb
rifled; rifling
-f(ə-)liŋ 
: to cut spiral grooves on the inside of a barrel of
rifled arms
rifle
3 of 4 noun1
a
: a weapon with a long rifled barrel that is designed to be fired from the shoulder
b
: a rifled artillery piece
2
plural
: a body of soldiers armed with rifles
Etymology
Verb
Middle English riflen "to steal or carry away by force," from early French rifler "to scrape off, plunder"; of Germanic origin
Verb
perhaps from French rifler "to scratch, file," from early French, "to scrape off, plunder"
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