potshot

1 of 2

noun

pot·​shot ˈpät-ˌshät How to pronounce potshot (audio)
1
: a shot taken from ambush or at a random or easy target
2
: a critical remark made in a random or sporadic manner

potshot

2 of 2

verb

potshot; potshotting

intransitive verb

: to take a potshot

transitive verb

: to attack or shoot with a potshot

Examples of potshot in a Sentence

Noun She uses her newspaper column to take potshots at anyone who disagrees with her. Verb The comic ended the show with a rant in which he potshot an assortment of celebrities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another. Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024 Key bandmembers Waters and David Gilmour (pictured above right and left, respectively, in the early 1970s), have been feuding for decades, taking public potshots at each other while recently trying to find enough common ground to close a deal. Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024 Members of the French Grande Armée—which included many Protestants and Catholics from Germany, Italy, and Poland—had defecated in the Kremlin’s Orthodox churches and taken potshots at the holy icons. Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017 Witness Donald Trump recently questioning the racial identity of his opponent, Kamala Harris, a race-baiting potshot that dredges up ingrained prejudices against biracial Americans that stretch back to the antebellum South. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for potshot 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'potshot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from the notion that such a shot is unsportsmanlike and worthy only of one whose object is to fill the cooking pot

First Known Use

Noun

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1913, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of potshot was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near potshot

Cite this Entry

“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potshot. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

potshot

noun
pot·​shot
ˈpät-ˌshät
1
: a shot taken in a casual manner or at an easy target
2
: a critical remark made in a random manner

More from Merriam-Webster on potshot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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