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

Plot summary Set in 1980s West Texas, the film follows Vietnam War veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who happens upon the bloody aftermath of a desert shoot-out resulting from a drug deal gone wrong between American and Mexican cartels. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Snow recently did an in-depth shoot-out of quarter-bore cartridges, new and old. — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

Nothing came of those investigations, but Shehu had fled the country after what police described as a shoot-out with a rival gang. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

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

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