scattershot

adjective scat·ter·shot \ ˈska-tər-ˌshät \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of scattershot

: broadly and often randomly inclusive : shotgun

scattershot advice

scattershot planning

Recent Examples of scattershot from the Web

The food hall model lowers those barriers to entry significantly, providing an affordable brick-and-mortar space without the seasonal headaches of food trucks while also offering a dependable brand presence that scattershot pop-ups can’t provide.

— mark kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Food halls set out to be the next big thing in Detroit dining," 15 June 2018
The interview topics went scattershot, because that’s who JT is at 18 years old.

— j. brady mccollough, latimes.com, "A father gave his son what his own father couldn't give him. Will JT Daniels be USC football's savior?," 11 June 2018
Giuliani has become a lightning rod during his tenure on Trump's team, drawing the president's ire for a series of scattershot interviews.

— Fox News, "The Latest: Giuliani says Kim Jong Un 'begged' for summit," 7 June 2018
Democrats have said this scattershot approach has led to higher premiums, especially for less-healthy Americans, by letting healthier people opt out of the ACA.

— stephanie armour, WSJ, "Democrats, Long Blamed for Health-Care Costs, Seek to Shift Ownership to GOP," 28 May 2018
Ryan Reynolds’ anti-hero sequel, Deadpool 2 (★★★ out of four; rated R), in theaters nationwide Friday, returns with relentless lampooning and scattershot jokes that made the first movie a successful hit.

— editors, USA TODAY, "Trump talks prison reform, 'Deadpool 2,' Ford resumes F-150 production: 5 things you need to know Friday," 18 May 2018
Whether stylistically intentional or not, a scattershot quality extends to all levels of the production, from choreography to lighting to costumes — a combination of the purposely cheesy and the merely makeshift.

— f. kathleen foley, latimes.com, "'Solo Must Die,' and so must this 'Star Wars' musical spoof," 11 May 2018
Some critics wrote it off as scattershot and uneven, laden with pop songs that were anything but sweet.

— chioma nnadi, Vogue, "Rihanna on Body Image, Turning 30, and Staying Real—No Matter What," 3 May 2018
Instead of scattershot tariffs that may, or more likely won’t, hit their targets, let’s invest in the much more focused business of helping our manufacturers and their communities grow and prosper.

— jared bernstein, Philly.com, "The best federal agency you've never heard of: It helps manufacturers and now Trump wants to kill it | Opinion," 30 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of scattershot

1951

in the meaning defined above

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