scattershot

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

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of scattershot

: broadly and often randomly inclusive : shotgun

scattershot advice

scattershot planning

Recent Examples of scattershot from the Web

The album is a bit of a scattershot affair, jumping all over the hip-hop spectrum.

— luca cimarusti, Chicago Reader, "Jaden Smith effortlessly covers the hip-hop spectrum on his debut album, Syre," 20 Apr. 2018
Unless someone can inject some coherence into Trump’s scattershot approach to Syria, a missile attack could do more harm than good.

— trudy rubin, Philly.com, "Trump tweet on missile strike underscores the incoherence of his Syria policy | Trudy Rubin," 11 Apr. 2018
The scattershot efforts were consolidated by a judicial panel in December, easing case management and streamlining the effort, allowing, for example, lawyers to depose an executive once for use in all the lawsuits.

— katie zezima, Anchorage Daily News, "An epic battle over the opioid crisis moves to an Ohio courtroom," 8 Apr. 2018
The scattershot approach Trump seems to favor -- The media! Immigration!

— chris cillizza, CNN, "This is what Donald Trump raw and uncut looks like," 3 Apr. 2018
The able performers do their best to smooth over certain scattershot motivations and segues.

— f. kathleen foley, latimes.com, "In 'Pigs and Chickens,' the IT department needs a help desk of its own," 23 Mar. 2018
But the 24-year-old has far more upside than fellow free agent Marqise Lee, and Robinson's 6-3 frame provides some margin for error for occasionally scattershot QB Blake Bortles.

— nate davis, USA TODAY, "Franchise tag player options for all 32 NFL teams," 20 Feb. 2018
The scattershot efforts were consolidated by a judicial panel in December, easing case management and streamlining the effort, allowing, for example, lawyers to depose an executive once for use in all the lawsuits.

— katie zezima, chicagotribune.com, "Epic opioid battle heads to Ohio courtroom," 7 Apr. 2018
And unlike some ransomware infections that take a passive, scattershot approach, SamSam assaults can involve active oversight.

— lily hay newman, WIRED, "The Ransomware That Hobbled Atlanta Will Strike Again," 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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