shoot 1 of 2

verb

ˈshüt How to pronounce shoot (audio)
Definition of shootnext
1
as in to fire
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force BB guns shoot small round metal pellets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to blast
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers train extensively to learn to shoot accurately and quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to gun
to strike with a missile from a gun hunters can shoot deer only during the legally specified open season

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to fly
to proceed or move quickly some show-off shot past all the other skiers on the slope

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to photograph
to take a photograph of shooting the lakeside scene while the light lasted

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to cast
to throw or give off suddenly the old, broken-down toaster began shooting out sparks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to shout
to voice one's opinions freely with force you've been wanting to say something since this meeting started, so shoot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to sprinkle
to mark with small spots especially unevenly hazel eyes that were brown shot with green

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to send
to cause to go or be taken from one place to another shot a congratulatory e-mail to his friend as soon as he heard the good news

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shoot

2 of 2

noun

1
as in limb
a branch of a main stem especially of a plant collected the most tender shoots for the vegetable dish he was making

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in ache
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body there'd be a shoot of pain from that molar whenever I bit down

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 shoot
Verb
Henton drew his gun and began shooting, firing two sequences of shots. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026 The One Media Capital Fund will target Italian and international film and TV production companies that shoot in Italy, supporting their operations, the development of new projects and providing guidance to their growth trajectories. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
Also nearby is the historic Calamigos Ranch, home to shoots for Grey’s Anatomy, Love Is Blind, The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, Beverly Hills 90210, Rizzoli & Isles,The Biggest Loser and Wayne’s World 2. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Unintentionally, Abrams took a page out of Gosling’s playbook while preparing for his consecutive shoots on Whalefall and Resident Evil in 2025. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoot
  1. fire
  2. blast
  3. gun
  4. fly
  5. photograph
  6. cast
  7. shout
  8. sprinkle
Verb
  • Martin Zummach, an attorney who represents the officer who fired the shot that killed Kohen, says the attorney general's findings cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As neurons fire furiously over the course of the day, ROS can accumulate.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • Tommy breaks them out by using Vision as a battering ram, but Paladin is waiting outside to blast Vision with a shotgun full of adamantium rounds.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In a round robin of insults, Proto blasted the incumbent Democratic senator who first won election in 2022.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of blast
Verb
  • Billini worked as an analyst for the state court system in the Bronx and was close to retirement when Moore gunned her down, relatives said.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • When Nabers was sidelined, the Giants had a conspicuous lack of offensive game-wreckers, and Dart was routinely out-gunned.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gun
Verb
  • The company had been gearing up to fly several more this year having already been given approval to fly as many as 12 times a year.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For the 31st time as secretary of state, Marco Rubio has left on a trip abroad, flying to Uzbekistan and later India amid rumblings that America's top diplomat is ignoring pressing matters in favor of politically safer visits and meetings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Then be sure to read our guide to photographing meteor showers, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Levine has photographed conflicts across the Middle East and in Ukraine for decades.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of photograph
Verb
  • Because of its proportional representation system – voters cast one vote for a national party-list – even the largest parties rarely win more than 35 seats, and Israel has always had coalition governments.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The glare cast by the 74%-lit waxing gibbous moon will hide fainter shooting stars for much of the night.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cast
Verb
  • Lil’ Randy shouts repeatedly as he is hauled off, a great ending to a pretty great episode.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The drunk-and-disorderly charge is linked to a December incident, in which Minton is accused of shouting and cursing at patrons of a tattoo studio in Hickory, court records show.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shout
Verb
  • Set the scene The hotel is located in the town of Lenox, home to a balanced blend of family locals with young tourists sprinkled very sparsely throughout.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Drizzle with spicy lime dressing and scallion oil and sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sprinkle

Phrases Containing shoot

Browse Nearby Words

shook up
shoot
shoot at
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoot. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All