Gun for is an informal phrasal verb meaning to pursue someone or something with determination, often in a hostile way. It usually appears in the progressive, as in “The critics are gunning for the new coach,” and it is inseparable, so the object always follows for.
Gun for at a glance
- Gun for is an inseparable phrasal verb; the object always follows for and the parts never split.
- Its senses are hostile pursuit, eager pursuit of a prize, and hunting with a gun.
- It appears most often in the progressive: is gunning for, was gunning for.
- It belongs to informal and journalistic writing rather than formal reports.
- The commonest error is separating the parts, as in gunned the record for.
- A denial, as in not gunning for your job, softens the aggression the verb carries.
What does gun for mean?
Gun for is a phrasal verb meaning to pursue a person or goal with determination, and it often carries a hint of hostility or rivalry. The Cambridge entry for gun for records the sense of trying to harm or defeat someone, and that hostile edge is what separates it from plain pursuit.
| Sense | Plain meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile pursuit | Try to defeat, blame or harm someone | The paper is gunning for the minister. |
| Eager pursuit | Work hard to win a prize or position | She is gunning for the top prize. |
| Criticism | Single someone out for attack | Two columnists gunned for the referee all week. |
| Hunting | Pursue game in order to shoot it | They gunned for pheasant at first light. |
One limitation is worth stating. Gun for is informal and can sound aggressive even when the goal is innocent, so a job application would use seek or pursue instead. The hunting sense is chiefly American and belongs to outdoor writing. Where a neutral verb will do, seek a place and aim for carry none of the hostility.
How do you use gun for in a sentence?
Gun for is inseparable, which means the object must follow for and cannot sit between the parts. The progressive is the usual shape, because the verb describes an ongoing campaign rather than a single act. The table shows the patterns that occur in real writing.
| Pattern | Example | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| be gunning for + object | They are gunning for a place in the final. | Progressive; the standard shape for an ongoing effort. |
| gun for + object | He gunned for the record last season. | Simple past; rarer and more forceful. |
| gun for + person | The reviewer gunned for the new manager. | Hostile sense with a human object. |
| not gun for + object | I am not gunning for your job. | A denial that softens the aggression. |
| gun for + game | They gunned for pheasant in the low field. | Hunting sense, chiefly American. |
Because the verb is inseparable, a pronoun still follows for: they are gunning for him, never gunning him for. The same particle appears in calmer verbs, where it carries no threat: to call for calm asks for something, and to care for a patient looks after someone.
| Collocation | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gunning for promotion | Actively trying to win a higher post | Half the team is gunning for promotion. |
| gunning for revenge | Seeking to settle a score | The rivals are gunning for revenge. |
| gunning for a seat | Campaigning to win a place | Three newcomers are gunning for a seat. |
| gunning for the title | Chasing a championship | Both clubs are gunning for the title. |
Gun for in a sentence: examples across contexts
Gun for shifts with the setting, from a dressing room to a newsroom. The nine sentences below keep the same phrase while the target changes from a trophy to a rival’s reputation.
| Context | Example sentence | Why this works |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom | The quiz team is gunning for first place this year. | A prize object keeps the sense eager, not hostile. |
| Workplace email | Two colleagues are gunning for the same role. | The shared object shows friendly rivalry. |
| News report | Several reporters are gunning for the mayor. | A person as object selects the hostile sense. |
| Sports page | The champions are gunning for an unbeaten season. | A record target makes the pursuit public. |
| Political writing | Rival factions are gunning for the party leader. | The plural subject signals an organised campaign. |
| Business press | The startup is gunning for a share of the market. | A market target is pursued, not attacked. |
| Outdoor writing | Local hunters gunned for duck along the marsh. | The game object selects the hunting sense. |
| Conversation | I am not gunning for your seat, honestly. | The denial removes the implied threat. |
| Book review | The critic was gunning for the author from page one. | The time phrase shows a sustained attack. |
Only the rows with a person as object feel aggressive. When the goal is defended rather than attacked, the natural opposite is to defend a teammate or to protect a position, and those verbs carry no threat at all.
Gun for vs aim for
Gun for and aim for a target both describe working toward a goal, but they differ in warmth and register. Aim for is neutral and measured; gun for is informal and often implies rivals who could be hurt. pursue a career sits between them and belongs to formal writing.
| Attribute | gun for | aim for |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Pursue hard, often against rivals | Set a goal and work toward it |
| Register | Informal and journalistic | Neutral, all registers |
| Typical object | A person, post, prize or record | A grade, target, standard or result |
| Implies hostility | Often, especially with a person | Never |
| Usual shape | Progressive: is gunning for | Simple or progressive: aims for |
| Separable | No; object follows for | No; object follows for |
Verdict: choose gun for when the effort has an edge and the setting is casual or journalistic, and aim for when the goal is simply a standard to reach. Where a rival is being chased rather than blamed, chase a record is the gentler alternative.
Word forms and grammar of gun for
Gun for inflects like a regular verb, and it has no everyday noun. The table also lists the form learners invent by mistake.
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gun for | phrasal verb, base | They gun for the same post every year. |
| gunning for | phrasal verb, -ing | She is gunning for a place on the board. |
| gunned for | phrasal verb, past | He gunned for the record all season. |
| gunned for | past participle | The seat had been gunned for by three rivals. |
| gun-for | non-standard noun | Marked wrong: the verb has no hyphenated noun form. |
The double n in gunning is the spelling point learners miss, because the base form has only one. Keep the phrase inseparable in every tense, and remember that the passive is rare: writers say the rivals are gunning for the seat rather than the seat is gunned for.
Common mistakes with gun for
- Incorrect:
She gunned him for the promotion.Correct: She gunned for the promotion. Rule: The verb is inseparable, so the object follows for. - Incorrect:
The team is gun for the title.Correct: The team is gunning for the title. Rule: A progressive verb needs the -ing form. - Incorrect:
He gunned for to win the race.Correct: He gunned for a win in the race. Rule: The phrase takes a noun phrase, never an infinitive. - Incorrect:
The manager gunned for the award formally.Correct: The manager pursued the award formally. Rule: Gun for is informal, so it clashes with a formal adverb and setting. - Incorrect:
They are gunning the record for.Correct: They are gunning for the record. Rule: The particle cannot move to the end.
Practice using gun for
Work through the seven items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.
- Fill the gap: Three players are ______ a place in the starting team.
- Choose the better word: The report (gunned for / aimed for) a neutral tone.
- Correct the error: The editor gunned the reporter for all week.
- Build a sentence: use gun for about two classmates chasing a prize.
- Spot the register: which belongs in a formal application — I am gunning for the post, or I am seeking the post?
- Rewrite in the negative: State that you do not want a colleague’s role.
- Change the tense: They gun for the title. Put it in the progressive.
Answers
- gunning for — the progressive describes an ongoing campaign for a place.
- aimed for — a neutral tone takes the neutral verb, since gun for implies rivalry.
- The editor gunned for the reporter all week — the object must follow for.
- Model answer: Both classmates are gunning for the same reading prize.
- I am seeking the post — a formal application avoids the informal gun for.
- Model answer: I am not gunning for your role, so please relax.
- They are gunning for the title — the progressive adds -ing and keeps the object after for.
The bottom line
Use gun for in a sentence when someone pursues a person, post or prize hard, usually with a hint of rivalry, and keep the verb inseparable so the object always follows for. The two details that decide most sentences are register and shape: the phrase is informal, and it appears most often in the progressive, as in they are gunning for the final. Where the tone must stay neutral or formal, target a goal and pursue are the more precise choices.
Frequently asked questions about gun for
Is gun for formal or informal?
Gun for is informal and journalistic, at home in sports pages, political reporting and everyday speech. A job application, a legal brief or an academic paper would use seek or pursue instead, because the phrase carries a hint of aggression that formal writing tries to avoid.
Is gun for separable?
No. Gun for is inseparable, so the object always follows for and the two parts never split. Writers say they are gunning for the captain, never gunning the captain for. Even a pronoun stays after for, as in gunning for him rather than gunning him for.
Does gun for always mean hostility?
No. When the object is a prize, post or record, the meaning is eager pursuit rather than attack. The hostile sense appears when the object is a person, as in the critics are gunning for the minister. The object, not the verb, decides how threatening the sentence sounds.
Can you gun for a job?
You can, in speech and informal writing, as in she is gunning for the manager’s job. The phrase suggests keen ambition and a touch of rivalry with other candidates. In a formal application, write that you are applying for the role or seeking promotion instead.
