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blunderbuss
noun
blun·der·buss
ˈblən-dər-ˌbəs 
1
: a muzzle-loading firearm with a short barrel and flaring muzzle to facilitate loading
2
: a blundering person
Synonyms
Examples of blunderbuss in a Sentence
leave it to that blunderbuss to bungle a job that a child could do
Recent Examples on the Web
Colman is Edith Swan, a middle-aged church lady who still lives with her blunderbuss of a father (Timothy Spall) and mild-mannered mother (Gemma Jones) in a working-class neighborhood of Littlehampton.
—
Ty Burr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The State Department, in its blunderbuss way, wanted to open up a kind of détente with the citizens of Communist Eastern Europe.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
As a result, all polls (even those with glittering brand names) should be regarded as closer to a blunderbuss than a sharpshooter’s rifle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022
The Agojie’s divisions consisted of five branches: blunderbuss or artillery women, elephant hunters, musketeers, razor women, and archers.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for blunderbuss 
Ty Burr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The State Department, in its blunderbuss way, wanted to open up a kind of détente with the citizens of Communist Eastern Europe.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
As a result, all polls (even those with glittering brand names) should be regarded as closer to a blunderbuss than a sharpshooter’s rifle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022
The Agojie’s divisions consisted of five branches: blunderbuss or artillery women, elephant hunters, musketeers, razor women, and archers.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for blunderbuss
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blunderbuss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Blunderbuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blunderbuss. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blunderbuss
noun
blun·der·buss
ˈblən-dər-ˌbəs
: a muzzle-loader with a short barrel and cone-shaped muzzle to make loading easier
Etymology
derived from an obsolete Dutch word donderbus, literally, "thundergun"
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