sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər 

plural sharpshooters

1

: a person who is highly skilled in shooting a weapon (such as a rifle) at a mark or target

a police sharpshooter

Determined to prevent any attempt on Lincoln's life, General Winfield Scott had placed sharpshooters on the roofs of buildings along the avenue …

—David Herbert Donald

2

sports : a consistently accurate shooter (as in basketball)

A 6' 9" sharpshooter who several NBA scouts predict will be a first-round pick …

—Tim Crothers

3

: any of various large leafhoppers that have powerful hind legs with spines on the tibia

The sharpshooter uses a needlelike mouthpart to suck fluids from trees and plants. As it goes from one to the next, it spreads diseases that can wipe out orange groves and other crops.

—Carl Zimmer

In Temecula, disease-carrying sharpshooters have turned some vineyards into wastelands.

—Steve Schmidt

Synonyms of sharpshooter

• shooter
• marksman
• gun

Examples of sharpshooter in a Sentence

the police stationed sharpshooters on rooftops all along the route of the presidential motorcade

Recent Examples on the Web

Jacob Crews was the Tigers’ sharpshooter Thursday, sinking 6 of his 8 shots from distance. —The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Dec. 2025

Wilson, in an interview with The Associated Press in 2024, agreed there was a race element to the sharpshooter’s popularity. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025

The veteran sharpshooter finished the game with a game-high 31 points. —Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025

The sharpshooter was 3 for 18 from deep over Minnesota’s three-game winning streak heading into Friday’s home tilt. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər 

: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman

sharpshooting

-ˌshüt-iŋ

noun