scattershot

adjective

scat·​ter·​shot ˈska-tər-ˌshät How to pronounce scattershot (audio)
: broadly and often randomly inclusive : shotgun
scattershot advice
scattershot planning

Examples of scattershot 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.
Israel’s killing of the Hamas leader is spun as an act of military genius and planning but is really only the result of a scattershot attack, and the Biden administration now says peace is at hand. Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Oct. 2024 Some of that comes down to the offensive coordinator, from the scattershot hiring of Gerad Parker to the surgical recruitment of Denbrock. Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024 There are even a couple of scattershot dance numbers. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024 Some of that retooling is obvious in the final cut of the movie, which has a slightly scattershot, sometimes thin screenplay and a close-to-even ratio between jokes that land and jokes that whiff badly. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scattershot 

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scattershot was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near scattershot

Cite this Entry

“Scattershot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattershot. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on scattershot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!