as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
The comic ended the show with a rant in which he potshot an assortment of celebrities.
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Recent Examples of potshot
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Soon, the pair are playing long-distance chess, air drumming, and taking competitive potshots at one another’s dishware.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead Trump has taken verbal potshots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Biden, suggesting their actions are to blame for the failure to contain the fires.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire’s lower chamber has four hundred people, nearly double the second-largest state legislature in the country, so there were plenty of representatives willing to take potshots at the hawk and belittle the children who wanted to honor it.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Verb
In a separate tweet, Ackman also took potshots at U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Soon, the pair are playing long-distance chess, air drumming, and taking competitive potshots at one another’s dishware.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead Trump has taken verbal potshots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Biden, suggesting their actions are to blame for the failure to contain the fires.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire’s lower chamber has four hundred people, nearly double the second-largest state legislature in the country, so there were plenty of representatives willing to take potshots at the hawk and belittle the children who wanted to honor it.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
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Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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Advertisement Huckabee also visited the Christian community of Taybeh in the West Bank on Saturday after a church was reportedly attacked and vandalized by Israeli settlers.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
22 July 2025
Noun
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But the latest salvo at the ultra-luxe end of the spectrum comes from Exclusive Resorts, a private membership club which is majority owned by AOL co-founder Steve Case, and comprises a $1 billion portfolio of more than 400 private residences across 75 destinations.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Kate Nash Lashes Out Singer-songwriter and actress Kate Nash delivered Glastonbury’s other big political salvo over the weekend, with particularly sharp words for Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Economic Trends First time and affordable home buyers are getting slammed.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Trump and Republicans have slammed Biden's use of an autopen and his pardons.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Despite the return of the daily barrage of trade headlines, the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq each closed at a record high Thursday.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
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The second barrage of legal documents, filed two weeks after the first lawsuit, also suggests that the detention center is already making an impact on the fragile ecosystem around it.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Weeks after that House hearing, the Fed lowered rates a quarter point, but Trump kept haranguing and insulting Powell, calling for even more easing.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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Offend clients or coworkers: Social media posts that target or insult certain groups, especially in a way that reflects poorly on your employer, can lead to termination.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 July 2025
Noun
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But Ashe is already halfway up the court, pouncing on the short ball and punching the volley away with ease to clinch the Wimbledon title.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
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After 54 years of tennis in Linwood, the club served its last volley in May.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
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In a rambling screed of nearly eight minutes, the caller unloaded a fusillade of profanities.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Overview: Iron Dome's performance could be Golden Dome's opportunity Israel and Iran resumed fire exchanges at the end of last week, and space and defense enthusiasts have been following the fusillades.—
Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.
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