shoot-out

noun

ˈshüt-ˌau̇t 

1

: a battle fought with handguns or rifles

2

: something resembling a shoot-out

broadly : showdown

3

: a shooting competition in overtime that is used to determine the winner of a game (as in soccer or hockey) tied at the end of regular play

Examples of shoot-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Murdoch even owned the Dodgers for a stretch to corner the market on what was then a Wild West shoot-out among TV programmers to launch cable channels. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Western Stories illustrating the myths of the American West, including wagon trains, shoot-outs, and frontier towns will have a gallery. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

In 2023, Arsenal beat City in a shoot-out, only for City to claim the Premier League title. — Dean Jones, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Hatfield went to trial for his involvement in the shoot-out and was acquitted in March 1921 by a jury. — Elijah Tanall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shoot-out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

shoot-out

noun

ˈshüt-ˌau̇t

: a battle fought with handguns or rifles