shot 1 of 2

noun

ˈshät How to pronounce shot (audio)
Definition of shotnext
1
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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2
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something let's take another shot at the puzzle

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3
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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4
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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5
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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6
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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7
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

2 of 2

verb

past tense of shoot
1
as in fired
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force BB guns shoot small round metal pellets

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2
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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3
as in drilled
to strike with a missile from a gun hunters can shoot deer only during the legally specified open season

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4
as in sped
to proceed or move quickly some show-off shot past all the other skiers on the slope

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5
as in photographed
to take a photograph of shooting the lakeside scene while the light lasted

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

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

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8
as in sprinkled
to mark with small spots especially unevenly hazel eyes that were brown shot with green

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9
as in sent
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

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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
Less than a minute later, Hayes went down holding her face after attempting a steal, just before Burton blocked Gray's shot. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 The question, though, with such a limited sample size is whether the 3-point attempts are the right shots in the right spots. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
Belgal was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an attempted arrest Thursday, sparking backlash from Mamdani’s progressive base. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026 Anubha Fatehpuriya, Nitesh Pandey, Raghav Dhir and Meenal Kapoor also feature in the film, which was shot on location in of Japan, Kolkata and Mumbai. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shot
  1. firing
  2. attempt
  3. photo
  4. sip
  5. guess
  6. opportunity
  7. fired
  8. drilled
Noun
  • Things certainly aren’t going well when your defensive coordinator’s name is emblazoned across bedsheets hanging from your school’s fraternity windows, calling for his firing.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fear and loathing are running high as Hollywood processes Thursday’s shock firing of Bela Bajaria from her post as Netflix chief content officer.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • Days before the execution attempt, Lee rejected the clemency request.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Distributed by Hive Media Corp, the drama reconstructs the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee and stars Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho as figures probing contradictions in the state’s official inquiry.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of attempt
Noun
  • Faulk showed photos of some businesses that have replaced the highway fences with their own fences and how those have improved the look along the highway.
    — Lynn Kutter, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The shoot couldn’t run in sequence and was organized by location instead, so Patil tracked her own makeup, hair, body and voice continuity across Selvi’s decline, leaning on continuity photos and long rehearsals with the ensemble.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of photo
Noun
  • The mouthpiece sits flat in the lid when not in use, then flips up for a sip.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Restrained sweetness allowed the intriguingly complex flavors to shine, ultimately luring tasters back for a second (and third, and fourth) sip.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sip
Noun
  • Today’s puzzle took our testers an average of 5 guesses out of 6, or moderately challenging.
    — New York Times Games, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Getting a word with a small number of guesses is a source of pride for players.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of guess
Noun
  • When the cast visited Japan in March 2025, Mystery Channel hosted a special event attended by 270 lucky fans chosen from applicants nationwide, giving them the opportunity to meet and interact with the cast.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • With Marcadé and now Without Production, Platform6 brings together the talent and the creative excellence to capture this opportunity.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of opportunity
Verb
  • And as the most recent press secretary found out, you can be fired from the position just as quickly as you were hired.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back people wearing hoods and masks and throwing fireworks, paving stones and other objects at officers in the Place de la République, northeast of the Paris city center.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of fired
Verb
  • José Ramírez reached on an infield single to start the eighth and DeLauter drilled a double off losing pitcher Tyler Wells, putting runners at second and third.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Santos and others had drilled with limited results but couldn’t replicate the American formula.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of drilled

Phrases Containing shot

Browse Nearby Words

short-term
shot
shot at
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Cite this Entry

“Shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shot. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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