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

Fudd has been a sharpshooter with a quick release and decisive decision-making while adding strong defense. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 July 2026

Nickel could add valuable floor spacing in the event Shamet misses time (the Knicks’ sharpshooter missed an extended period of both his Knicks seasons with shoulder injuries). — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

Caesar’s Sports Book lists former tennis star Mardy Fish (+285), last year’s winner and former hockey star Joe Pavelski (+290), former pitcher John Smoltz (+450) and Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry (+450) atop the betting odds. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

In need of three-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league’s best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency. — Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

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