twenty-two

noun

twen·​ty-two ˈtwen-tē-ˈtü How to pronounce twenty-two (audio)
ˈtwən-
1
: a number that is one more than 21 see Table of Numbers
2
: a .22-caliber firearm
especially : one firing rimfire cartridges
usually written .22
twenty-two adjective
twenty-two pronoun, plural in construction

Examples of twenty-two in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On immigration and border security, Trump led Biden fifty-seven to twenty-two; on the economy, fifty-five to thirty-three. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 An extraordinary number of Thomas clerks—twenty-two, according to the Associated Press in 2018—populated the high ranks of the Trump Administration or were nominated by Trump for judgeships; others have fanned out across the nation to other prominent posts. Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024 When the Senate this week finally passed a bill requested by Biden months ago that would send nearly sixty billion dollars to Ukraine along with billions more for Israel and Taiwan, only twenty-two Senate Republicans voted for it. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2024 In the twenty-two hours of recordings that Mark Austin produced for the FBI, McRae does most of the talking. Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 For example, one study, in Oklahoma, found birds in the stomachs of two of twenty-two cats roaming freely in a residential area. Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 At least twenty-two campus security officers and N.Y.P.D. cops watched, from behind metal police barriers. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023 Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression pact in 1939, just before Germany invaded Poland, but twenty-two months later, much to Stalin’s astonishment, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Since her win in New York, only twenty-two other states have also elected a Black woman to Congress, according to Pew Research Center. Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twenty-two.' 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

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twenty-two was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near twenty-two

Cite this Entry

“Twenty-two.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twenty-two. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

twenty-two

noun
ˌtwent-ē-ˈtü
1
: a firearm cartridge of .22 caliber
2
: a firearm of .22 caliber

More from Merriam-Webster on twenty-two

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