potshot

1 of 2

noun

pot·​shot ˈpät-ˌshät 

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

Synonyms of potshot

Verb

• attack
• slam
• scold
• insult

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

Over the past few months, Nightmare Eclipse has taken multiple potshots at Microsoft. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026

During the chat, the stars and their captain on set delved into the myriad references, riffs, parodies, and potshots taken at the past two and a half decades of horror history that this standalone sequel to 2000's Scary Movie strings together. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

As the prominence of fracking attests, the critics of alternative energies are lobbing potshots from quite the glass house. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Iranian potshots at those vessels failed. —Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026

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

Rhymes for potshot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

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