shot 1 of 2

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as in firing
a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece cannon operators often had to use several shots to figure out the range of their targets

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as in photo
a picture created from an image recorded on a light-sensitive surface by a camera took a shot of his family for the scrapbook

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as in shooter
a person skilled in shooting at a target a soldier who's an excellent shot with a rifle

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as in sip
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time drank a shot of whisky

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as in guess
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence I have no idea what's different about you, but I'll take a shot: you cut your hair?

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as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place we have a real shot at getting into the championship if we win this next match

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shot

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verb

past tense of shoot
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as in blasted
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers train extensively to learn to shoot accurately and quickly

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as in photographed
to take a photograph of shooting the lakeside scene while the light lasted

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shot
Noun
Only about 45% of adults and children got their flu shot this season, CDC data shows, well below the federal target of 70%. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025 The 30-year-old shot a 12-under, bogey-free 59 in the first round of the Cognizant Classic – formerly known as the Honda Classic. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
Both films were shot back to back, so the same top-notch storytelling and able performances are present. Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024 Shoutout to the 38 Republicans who shot the bill down in the House while being threatened & blackmailed. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for shot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shot
Noun
  • The abrupt firings have roiled the government and outraged critics who say workers in areas including nuclear security, forest fire prevention and bird flu response have been culled without warning.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
  • Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.
    Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • But most foods know no gender, and brands risk alienating certain groups through the attempt of specifically alluring another.
    Andrew Watman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The politically motivated charges against me are nothing more than an attempt to silence my fight for democracy.
    Imran Khan, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Per her Club Shay Shay interview, a photo with Drake allegedly served as a catalyst to the breakup.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Pierre shared the same photos on his Instagram page, but did not add any caption.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Finally, bloodsuckers from The Sims 4 Vampires can simply charm the burglar into leaving — after taking a quick sip from her, of course.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Adria took a sip of tea, her first since sitting down.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Today’s average difficulty is 4.2 guesses out of 6, or moderately challenging.
    New York Times Games, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • And your first guess would probably be that he was set in his ways and forced to interact with someone younger who saw the world quite differently.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This was his opportunity, perhaps his only one, to sign a big contract.
    Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 6 Mar. 2025
  • But for the guard, the greatest frustration is the missed opportunity to lead.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In England, experts unearthed eight stone balls fired from catapults during Henry III’s siege of Kenilworth Castle in 1266.
    Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
  • The Bears offense struggled under coordinator Shane Waldron, so he was fired.
    Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Rashad Jamal, the former rapper who leads the University of Cosmic Intelligence and is now serving 18 years on child-molestation charges, has repeatedly cast his prosecution as persecution.
    David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Music fans cast their votes in a poll published on Friday (Feb. 21) by Billboard, choosing the collaborative track as their favorite new release of the past week.
    Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shot. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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