1
: that is complete or effective through being done or used or applied only once
there is no easy one-shot answer to the problem
2
: that is not followed by something else of the same kind
a one-shot tax cut
one-shot noun

Examples of one-shot in a Sentence

this offer is a one-shot deal; if you refuse, you won't get another chance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, Justin Rose was catching fire and took a one-shot lead for a moment. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 McIlroy responded by turning an opening two-shot lead into a one-shot deficit in only 33 minutes. Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Justin Rose, who had a one-shot lead at the start of the day, shot 75 and was seven shots back. Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 This story is heavy and nuanced, and it is enhanced both by the one-shot device and by a phenomenal cast, particularly Cooper and Graham (a household name in the U.K.). Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for one-shot

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of one-shot was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“One-shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-shot. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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