Meaning & use
gunboat
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A small armed naval vessel designed for patrolling coastal waters and rivers, often used to enforce a nation's interests by force.
See it in a sentence
The colonial power sent a gunboat to intimidate the port city into compliance.
Gunboats patrolled the river to deter smugglers during the conflict.
A note on using this word
The phrase "gunboat diplomacy" describes the use of visible military threat, rather than negotiation, to achieve foreign policy goals.
Words with a similar meaning
patrol boatwarship
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