potshot

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noun pot·shot \ -ˌshät \

Definition of potshot

1 :a shot taken from ambush or at a random or easy target

2 :a critical remark made in a random or sporadic manner

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Examples of potshot in a Sentence

A sniper was on the roof taking potshots at passing cars.

Recent Examples of potshot from the Web

Frustration will set in, and it will be augmented by Peterson and Hood’s ruthless potshots.

— andy benoit, SI.com, "24 Hours With ... Patrick Peterson, the NFL’s Only Shutdown Cornerback. (Just Ask Him)," 19 July 2017
In Washington, President Trump has not missed any opportunity to take potshots at the nuclear deal as part of his attacks on all things Obama.

— brian murphy, Washington Post, "France’s Total bets big on Iran’s gas fields. American rivals are left watching from afar.," 3 July 2017
On the other, Gilbert lived down to the worst stereotypes of an entitled and scorned billionaire owner by publicly lobbing personal potshots at his former franchise player.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Dan Gilbert Just Gave LeBron James A Cover Story To Leave Cavs In 2018," 20 June 2017
The Sanders Institute will not be taking any potshots at people.

— david weigel, Washington Post, "Jane Sanders launches think tank to promote ‘progressive voices’," 7 June 2017
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim to lead the United Kingdom's most populous city, is used to political opponents taking potshots at his faith.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "A brief history of Donald Trump’s feud with Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor," 6 June 2017
Other prominent ConservativeTribune stories took potshots at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, including a video of liberals who struggled to explain their love of the former president.

— james rainey, NBC News, "Conservative Media’s Alternative Take on Trump and Russia," 20 May 2017
More importantly, this is a silly potshot at the news media—with some quarter given to print journalists—from someone who made a total of five statements that Politifact decided to grade, all of which were rated some degree of false.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "Kellyanne Conway Finally Said Something True into a Microphone," 12 Apr. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of potshot

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

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First Known Use: 1843

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potshot

verb

Definition of potshot

potshot; potshotting

intransitive verb

:to take a potshot

transitive verb

:to attack or shoot with a potshot

Examples of potshot in a Sentence

ended the show with an extended rant in which he potshot an array of personages on the right

First Known Use of potshot

1913

potshot Synonyms

Synonyms

abuse, assail, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), attack, savage, scathe, slam, trash, vituperate

Related Words

berate, harangue, harass, harry, revile, scold, whip; blaspheme, curse, execrate, imprecate, profane; affront, insult, slur; asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, blackguard, disparage, put down; libel, slander, traduce, vilify; chastise, chide, criticize, lace (into), rebuke, reprimand, reproof; fulminate, lash (out)

Near Antonyms

acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise

POTSHOT Defined for English Language Learners

potshot

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noun

Definition of potshot for English Language Learners

: a gunshot that is fired in a careless way or at an easy target

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See words that rhyme with potshot Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for potshot Spanish Central: Translation of potshot Nglish: Translation of potshot for Spanish speakers

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potshot

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