firepower

noun

fire·​pow·​er ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌpau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce firepower (audio)
1
a
: the capacity (as of a military unit) to deliver effective fire on a target
b
: effective fire
2
a
: effective power or force
intellectual firepower
b
: the scoring ability of a team or player

Examples of firepower in a Sentence

The army didn't have the firepower to defeat the invaders. right now the President doesn't have the political firepower to push his programs through Congress
Recent Examples on the Web Boys basketball Open Division No. 2 Archbishop Riordan 69, No. 3 Clovis North 57: Visiting Clovis North kept it close for a half, but host Riordan had too much firepower for the visitors to keep under control for a full game. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Noting the Ukrainians’ desperate shortage of artillery ammo, the Russians are betting that back-to-back-to-back waves of troops, riding in or on infantry fighting vehicles, can deplete Ukrainian firepower faster than the Ukrainians can deplete Russian manpower. David Axe, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 No matchup, however, can match this one in terms of pure firepower. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The Lancers’ challenge will be developing more offensive firepower and supporting Weiss in the circle. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 Kyrie Irving’s 30-point only added to that feeling, that Cleveland couldn’t match Dallas’ firepower in a game that felt like a playoff game. Chris Manning, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Legal effort adds notable firepower Among those attending Wednesday’s press conference was Malcolm X's daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, who at 2 years old was present with her mother when her 39-year-old father was shot 21 times while addressing a crowd at the ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 To date, Israel has employed enormous firepower during Swords of Iron. Raphael S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024 Even with the Pelicans (30-22) cutting the margin to single digits in the third, the Lakers’ offensive firepower was too much for New Orleans to overcome. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firepower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of firepower was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near firepower

Cite this Entry

“Firepower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firepower. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

firepower

noun
fire·​pow·​er -ˌpau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce firepower (audio)
: the ability to deliver gunfire or warheads on a target
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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