smoking gun
noun
: something that serves as conclusive evidence or proof (as of a crime or scientific theory)
Examples of smoking gun in a Sentence
This document is the smoking gun that proves that he was lying.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are no smoking guns in Jim’s investigation — only yearslong legal cases that hinge on technical details like the metal composition of a tiny bomb component.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025
Some experts have said the public shouldn’t anticipate smoking guns that upend history.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
While all this is going on, Matty is — as always — sneaking around Jacobson-Moore, looking for the smoking gun that will prove Senior buried evidence against Wellbrexa.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024
But looking for the equivalent of a smoking gun in arguments about Shakespeare’s sexuality is a hollow pursuit.
—Will Tosh, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smoking gun 
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Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025
Some experts have said the public shouldn’t anticipate smoking guns that upend history.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
While all this is going on, Matty is — as always — sneaking around Jacobson-Moore, looking for the smoking gun that will prove Senior buried evidence against Wellbrexa.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024
But looking for the equivalent of a smoking gun in arguments about Shakespeare’s sexuality is a hollow pursuit.
—Will Tosh, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smoking gun
Dictionary Entries Near smoking gun
Cite this Entry
“Smoking gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smoking%20gun. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
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