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rifle

1 of 4

verb (1)

ri·​fleˈrī-fəl How to pronounce rifle (audio)
rifled;riflingˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)

transitive verb

1
:to search through something quickly and carelessly especially with the intent to steal
rifled the papers on her desk looking for the document
Someone broke into andrifled the safe.
2
:to steal and carry away

intransitive verb

:to engage in ransacking and stealing
rifled through his wallet and stole his money

rifle

2 of 4

verb (2)

rifled;riflingˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)

transitive verb

:to cut spiral grooves into the bore of
rifled arms
rifled pipe

rifle

3 of 4

noun

1
a
:a shoulder weapon with arifled bore
b
:a rifled artillery piece
2
rifles plural:soldiers armed withrifles

rifle

4 of 4

verb (3)

rifled;riflingˈrī-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)

transitive verb

:to hit or throw (a ball) with great force or speed

Examples ofrifle in a Sentence

Verb (1)rifled the desk drawer in search of the insurance policy
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.
Verb
Another goal against Fulham on Sunday continued Cunha’s purple patch; collecting a no-look pass from Casemiro on the right of the penalty area beforerifling a powerful effort into the roof of Bernd Leno’s net.—Carl Anka,New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026The junior thenrifled a cross towards the near post, where a cutting Annabel Grentz headed it into the bottom-right corner, handing the Patriots the 2-1 advantage.—Clark Fahrenthold,San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
On August 8, as the measles outbreak continued to make headlines, a man named Patrick Joseph White entered a CVS in northeast Atlanta and fired hundreds of rounds from arifle into the CDC’s headquarters across the street.—Vann R. Newkirk Ii,The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026All but three of the bears were killed with arifle.—Cbs Miami Team,CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026See All Example Sentences forrifle

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-Frenchrifler to scrape off, plunder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High Germanriffilōn to saw, obsolete Dutchrijffelen to scrape

Verb (2)

perhaps from Frenchrifler to scratch, file, from Middle French, to scrape, plunder

and Verb (3)

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined attransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1635, in the meaning definedabove

Noun

1756, in the meaning defined atsense 1a

Verb (3)

1937, in the meaning definedabove

Time Traveler
The first known use ofrifle was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Rifle.”Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

rifle

1 of 4verb
ri·​fleˈrī-fəl How to pronounce rifle (audio)
rifled;rifling-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
1
:to search through fast and roughly especially in order to steal
rifled the coat pockets for loose change
riflernoun

rifle

2 of 4verb
rifled;rifling-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
:to cut spiral grooves on the inside of a barrel of
rifled arms

rifle

3 of 4noun
1
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

rifle

4 of 4verb
rifled;rifling-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rifle (audio)
:to hit or throw a ball with great force
Etymology

Verb

Middle Englishriflen "to steal or carry away by force," from early Frenchrifler "to scrape off, plunder"; of Germanic origin

Verb

perhaps from Frenchrifler "to scratch, file," from early French, "to scrape off, plunder"

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