long shot
noun
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
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
Democrats believe the Florida decisions will turn out voters and perhaps even flip the state — a long shot in a state where Mr. Biden’s opponent is a registered voter.
—
Katie Rogers, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Initially a long shot to make the roster, Stiggers instead became a starter after signing 15 months ago.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The long shot bid to unseat board president Nate Miley seems to have come up short, as Nurse Jennifer Esteen, Miley’s challenger, was far behind in early returns.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Among the priorities: Putting Colson Montgomery in a position to succeed — With the addition of top free agents a long shot, nobody can do more to help the White Sox win the next few years than the 21-year-old shortstop.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Author Marianne Williamson suspended her long shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday night.
—Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
The film hasn’t won many precursors, and though the Academy nominated it in seven categories, including Best Picture, it’s considered a long shot in most of them.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
What isn't so normal is the proportion of them related to warmer temperatures or the degree to which the new records shatter previous records by a long shot.
—USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Early on, Mullen’s quest was treated as a long shot, even something of an oddity — a sincere obsession that would harmlessly go nowhere.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Katie Rogers, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Initially a long shot to make the roster, Stiggers instead became a starter after signing 15 months ago.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
The long shot bid to unseat board president Nate Miley seems to have come up short, as Nurse Jennifer Esteen, Miley’s challenger, was far behind in early returns.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Among the priorities: Putting Colson Montgomery in a position to succeed — With the addition of top free agents a long shot, nobody can do more to help the White Sox win the next few years than the 21-year-old shortstop.
—Phil Rogers, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Author Marianne Williamson suspended her long shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday night.
—Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
The film hasn’t won many precursors, and though the Academy nominated it in seven categories, including Best Picture, it’s considered a long shot in most of them.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
What isn't so normal is the proportion of them related to warmer temperatures or the degree to which the new records shatter previous records by a long shot.
—USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Early on, Mullen’s quest was treated as a long shot, even something of an oddity — a sincere obsession that would harmlessly go nowhere.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'long shot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near long shot
Cite this Entry
“Long shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20shot. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
long shot
noun1
: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
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