Definition

Noun: * Conclusive, indisputable evidence: A "smoking gun" is a piece of evidence that serves as undeniable proof of a fact, especially of guilt or wrongdoing. The term originates from the image of a gun that has just been fired, with smoke still rising from the barrel, proving it was the weapon used in a crime.

Usage

The term is used to describe evidence that is so clear and direct that it removes all doubt. It is most commonly used in legal, journalistic, and investigative contexts. * It is typically preceded by the indefinite article "a" or "the" (e.g., a smoking gun, the smoking gun). * It often appears in phrases like "find the smoking gun" or "look for a smoking gun."

Examples

• Noun:
  • The email was the smoking gun that proved the executive knew about the fraud.
  • Investigators searched for a smoking gun to link the suspect to the crime scene.
  • The leaked document provided the smoking gun the journalists needed for their story.

Advanced Usage

• "To have a smoking gun": To possess definitive proof.
  • The prosecutor claimed to have a smoking gun that would convict the defendant.
• "Smoking-gun evidence" (compound adjective): Used to describe evidence that is definitively incriminating.
  • They presented smoking-gun evidence to the committee.

Variants and Related Words

• Smoking pistol: A less common synonym with identical meaning.
• Evidence (n): The broader, more general term for information indicating whether something is true or valid.
• Proof (n): Evidence or argument establishing a fact or the truth of a statement.

Synonyms

• Conclusive evidence
• Irrefutable proof
• Damning evidence
• Definitive proof

Related Idioms

• "The nail in the coffin": The final act or piece of evidence that causes the failure of something. While similar, this idiom emphasizes a final, finishing blow rather than the definitive proof itself.
  • The failed product launch was the nail in the coffin for the company.

Noun

1. indisputable evidence (especially of a crime)