ricochet

1 of 2

noun

ric·​o·​chet ˈri-kə-ˌshā How to pronounce ricochet (audio)
 British also  -ˌshet
: a glancing rebound (as of a projectile off a flat surface)
the ricochet of the bullet off the wall
also : an object that ricochets
He was hit by a ricochet.

ricochet

2 of 2

verb

ricocheted ˈri-kə-ˌshād How to pronounce ricochet (audio) also ricochetted ˈri-kə-ˌshe-təd How to pronounce ricochet (audio) ; ricocheting ˈri-kə-ˌshā-iŋ How to pronounce ricochet (audio) also ricochetting ˈri-kə-ˌshe-tiŋ How to pronounce ricochet (audio)

intransitive verb

: to bounce or skip with or as if with a glancing rebound
The bullet that hit President Reagan had ricocheted off the presidential limousine.David Fisher
The ball ricochets at a right angle, falling with force into the first baseman's glove …Bob Drury
The chute snaps open, the sound ricocheting through the gorge like a gunshot, and McGuire is soaring, carving S turns into the air, swooping over a winding creek.Karl Taro Greenfeld

Examples of ricochet in a Sentence

Noun He was hit by a ricochet. the ricochet of the bullet off the wall Verb The bullet ricocheted off the wall. the ball ricocheted off the fielder's glove and went over the fence for a home run
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Argentina lost after a freak ricochet score and a moment of genius by Saudi attacker Salem al-Dawsari who evaded three Argentine players and scorched a shot past Argentine stopper Dibu Martínez. John Hopewell, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024 After a few seconds, while the two tussle, a gun seems to go off and a bullet ricochets off the pavement near the body of the man, who remains on the ground. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 One of them suffered a ricochet wound, Taylor said. CBS News, 31 Jan. 2023 Based on the details of those ricochets, the group could infer how the material responded to the collision, which in turn revealed properties of any waves the collision created. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2023 No hoping that a ricochet goes their way in a shootout. John Powers, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023 Such a ricochet actually stretches the brain’s neurons, which may disrupt the cells’ crucial connectivity and the flow of neurotransmitters. Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 July 2023 Gibson eventually learned the wall was slightly angled, causing that ricochet. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2023 And Portugal came within a ricochet of knocking out the Americans. John Powers, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023
Verb
Russians gathered for impromptu vigils in cities around the world, while images of people laying flowers at memorial sites in Russian cities ricocheted across social media. Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 With California ricocheting between ever-more-devastating droughts and storms — and more prone than ever to destructive conflagrations — his expertise has been increasingly in demand. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Those claims ricocheted throughout the finance world and then on to the very members who pay thousands of dollars every year in dues. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Mahomes’ passes kept ricocheting off his receivers’ hands. Arnie Stapleton, The Denver Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Lewandowski's goal was a fortuitous one as the ball ricocheted off his leg while a defender tried to clear it from in front of the net. Tales Azzoni, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 The pop of gunfire ricocheted through the streets, and the demonstrators started running for their lives. John Eligon Joao Silva, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 The headlines ricocheted throughout the media, but the group never got off the ground, and News, Axel and IAC have all forged ahead on their own terms. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024 The actors must also project their lines above the bang of pots and pans ricocheting off of stainless steel, the sizzling of cooking food or the whoosh of running water. Jill Wendholt Silva, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ricochet.' 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

French

First Known Use

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ricochet was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near ricochet

Cite this Entry

“Ricochet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ricochet. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ricochet

1 of 2 noun
ric·​o·​chet ˈrik-ə-ˌshā How to pronounce ricochet (audio)
 British also  -ˌshet
1
: a bouncing off at an angle (as of a bullet off a flat surface)
2
: an object that ricochets

ricochet

2 of 2 verb
ricocheted
-ˌshād
also ricochetted
-ˌshet-əd
; ricocheting
-ˌshā-iŋ
also ricochetting
-ˌshet-iŋ
: to bounce off at an angle

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