: having or using preset or automatically adjusted controls (as for focus or shutter speed)
a point-and-shoot camera

Examples of point-and-shoot in a Sentence

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.
This Panasonic point-and-shoot digital camera is an easy-to-use starter option for anyone looking to up their picture game and not have to worry about draining their phone battery throughout the day or having to empty their storage space to take more vacation photos. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025 Some drives down the range are simple point-and-shoot affairs; others require you to factor in elements like the weather, wind intensity and direction, and ball spin. PC Magazine, 11 Oct. 2025 But currently, air traffic controllers have to use a radar point-and-shoot system from the 1960s. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025 Small, point-and-shoot digital camera. Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025 The palm-sized point-and-shoot cameras, released Tuesday in collaboration with camera company Reto, are already sold out on Kodak’s website and are only available for pre-order at most affiliated retailers. Luke Fountain, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025 Bassini totes around point-and-shoot cameras, lately a Yashica T4 or Contax T2, that are compact enough to go unnoticed in his pocket but draw a nostalgic reaction from models and actors. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 This is an especially great pick for kids who don’t have a phone yet, but even the ones who do will love the novelty of taking a point-and-shoot camera on their adventures. Clint Davis, People.com, 7 July 2025 Modes Every digital point-and-shoot camera has an automatic mode. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of point-and-shoot was in 1964

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Point-and-shoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point-and-shoot. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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