Meaning & use
blunderbuss
Last updated
An old type of gun with a short, wide barrel that scattered shot over a broad area, or, figuratively, a clumsy, indiscriminate approach.
See it in a sentence
The museum displayed a rusted blunderbuss once used by 18th-century sailors.
Critics said the new policy was a blunderbuss approach to a problem that needed precision.
A note on using this word
Blunderbuss is now mostly used figuratively, describing an approach that's broad and imprecise rather than the actual antique firearm.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blunderbuss”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.