smoking gun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the reported result has not been officially confirmed, and even a confirmed positive would not necessarily be the smoking gun it might appear to be.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
And in a place like the United States, where everyone is in pursuit of power, walking around with a smoking gun puts a target on your back.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe was meant to take the stand as a smoking gun for the prosecution but instead revealed no new information and came to Jackson’s defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Now, I think Joseph has found the smoking gun," Howell continued, "and he's tied the bumps into the magnetar model, and explained everything with the best-tested theory in astrophysics -- General Relativity.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026
The tape of Nixon and his staff plotting to use the CIA to block the FBI’s investigation of the Watergate break-in proved to be the smoking gun prosecutors were looking for.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
