long shot
noun
1
: a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful
also
: a venture unlikely to succeed
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
3
: a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great
Examples of long shot in a Sentence
I hope to double my profits, but I know that's a long shot.
The horse was a long shot, but we bet on him anyway.
She always bets on long shots at the racetrack.
Recent Examples on the Web
But Trump's aides also acknowledge an upset in the Empire State is a long shot in the same way California is Harris country and Texas and Florida are in the GOP camp.
—
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024
Even though the bill itself is a legislative long shot, federal agencies under Donald Trump could adopt some of its most extreme provisions without congressional approval, said Daniel Rosenberg, director of federal toxics policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2024
And in what may be a long shot, some proponents even think nuclear can make a comeback in California, where opponents have long been entrenched.
—Rob Nikolewski, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024
Plus, getting new chips across the entire line of Macs all at once may be too much of a long shot — Apple has a track record of spacing things out.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for long shot 
David Jackson, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024
Even though the bill itself is a legislative long shot, federal agencies under Donald Trump could adopt some of its most extreme provisions without congressional approval, said Daniel Rosenberg, director of federal toxics policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2024
And in what may be a long shot, some proponents even think nuclear can make a comeback in California, where opponents have long been entrenched.
—Rob Nikolewski, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024
Plus, getting new chips across the entire line of Macs all at once may be too much of a long shot — Apple has a track record of spacing things out.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for long shot
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'long shot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near long shot
Cite this Entry
“Long shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20shot. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
long shot
noun1
: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share