sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər 

plural sharpshooters

1

: a person who is highly skilled in shooting a weapon (such as a rifle) at a mark or target

a police sharpshooter

Determined to prevent any attempt on Lincoln's life, General Winfield Scott had placed sharpshooters on the roofs of buildings along the avenue …

—David Herbert Donald

2

sports : a consistently accurate shooter (as in basketball)

A 6' 9" sharpshooter who several NBA scouts predict will be a first-round pick …

—Tim Crothers

3

: any of various large leafhoppers that have powerful hind legs with spines on the tibia

The sharpshooter uses a needlelike mouthpart to suck fluids from trees and plants. As it goes from one to the next, it spreads diseases that can wipe out orange groves and other crops.

—Carl Zimmer

In Temecula, disease-carrying sharpshooters have turned some vineyards into wastelands.

—Steve Schmidt

Synonyms of sharpshooter

• shooter
• marksman
• gun

Examples of sharpshooter in a Sentence

the police stationed sharpshooters on rooftops all along the route of the presidential motorcade

Recent Examples on the Web

Anthony Edwards brought the ball up the floor and attempted to get the ball to the sharpshooter, but Norman Powell — who went over the top of the off-ball screen — poked the pass away. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026

Shamet’s absence due to a shoulder sprain hurts the Knicks because the veteran sharpshooter plays with a pace New York has sorely missed. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026

In the first tactical change to his starting lineup since mid-November, Mazzulla replaced Walsh with veteran sharpshooter Sam Hauser. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026

While guarding this mysterious gorge, these good-looking sharpshooters inevitably fall in love and join forces to contain the marauding creatures. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər 

: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman

sharpshooting

-ˌshüt-iŋ

noun