1
: a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful
also : a venture unlikely to succeed
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
3
: a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great
Phrases
by a long shot
: by a great deal

Examples of long shot in a Sentence

I hope to double my profits, but I know that's a long shot. The horse was a long shot, but we bet on him anyway. She always bets on long shots at the racetrack.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But within those few episodes is a devastating story about a young boy who commits a horrendous crime that unfolds in excruciating detail, with each episode consisting of a single long shot. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 And suddenly, that term — long shot — feels terribly apt in describing just about everything surrounding the 2025 San Francisco 49ers. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025 Coming off his second season playing in an independent league at 30, a pathway back to a major-league team’s affiliate — let alone returning to the majors — felt like a long shot. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 In between times, there are long shots of the gingko, tree’s-eye views of what is happening on the ground and squelching closeups of germinating seeds – luscious and inescapably sensual. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for long shot

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of long shot was in 1796

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Long shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20shot. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

long shot

noun
1
: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning

More from Merriam-Webster on long shot

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