scattershot

adjective

scat·​ter·​shot ˈska-tər-ˌshät How to pronounce scattershot (audio)
Synonyms of scattershotnext
: broadly and often randomly inclusive : shotgun
scattershot advice
scattershot planning

Examples of scattershot 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.
Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 There are some broadly entertaining yet scattershot series of betrayals, shootouts, car chases (and subsequent crashes), though little that actually raises the pulse or grabs your emotions. Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 Trump is scheduled to travel to China for a meeting with leader Xi Jinping in just three weeks, but planning remains scattershot, with no final list of officials and executives joining him, Semafor scooped. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 2026 The risk of business as usual—which is to say, limited and scattershot progress—could cut industry bottom lines by 34 percent by 2030 and as much as 67 percent by 2040, Aii said last month. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scattershot

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scattershot was in 1951

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scattershot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattershot. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

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