Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

cheap shot

noun
Updated on: 18 Apr 2018
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of cheap shot

1 : an act of deliberate roughness against a defenseless opponent especially in a contact sport
  • taking cheap shots at the quarterback
2 : a critical statement that takes unfair advantage of a known weakness of the target
—

cheap-shot

transitive verb

See cheap shot defined for English-language learners

Examples of cheap shot in a Sentence

  1. He took a cheap shot at the quarterback.

  2. a cheap shot to the back of the head

  3. The remark about his weight was a cheap shot.

Recent Examples of cheap shot from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheap shot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of cheap shot

1971

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

CHEAP SHOT Defined for English Language Learners

cheap shot

noun

Definition of cheap shot for English Language Learners

  • sports : an unfair hit made against an opponent

  • : something that one person says about another that is not kind or fair : a critical and unfair comment

Learn More about cheap shot

  1. See words that rhyme with cheap shot

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cheap shot? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

loath

play

unwilling or reluctant

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

  2. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  3. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  4. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  5. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

cheap shot

Test Your Vocabulary

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

  • image1926873504
  • Which of the following best describes an easily irritated person?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

alt-5ade0f1ca7a0c
'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

The distinction is clear (now).

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: cheap shot in a Sentence