1
: a battle fought with handguns or rifles
2
: something resembling a shoot-out
broadly : showdown
3
: a shooting competition in overtime that is used to determine the winner of a game (as in soccer or hockey) tied at the end of regular play

Examples of shoot-out in a Sentence

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.
After re-entering her residence post shoot-out, Lauren-Shriner surrendered to police and was taken into custody. Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 Jillian Lauren, was involved in a police shoot-out after an unrelated Los Angeles car chase, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Wednesday (April 9). Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025 Still, the shoot-out goes how shoot-outs tend to on TV: No one is that great at shooting, so there are tons of bullets flying and only a few hits. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025 Their explosive investigation gets even more dangerous as Mike and Marcus must protect murder witness Julie (Téa Leoni) from a French drug kingpin and his deadly henchmen after surviving a shoot-out. Rendy Jones, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shoot-out

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoot-out was in 1948

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Cite this Entry

“Shoot-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoot-out. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

shoot-out

noun
ˈshüt-ˌau̇t
: a battle fought with handguns or rifles
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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