sharpshooter

noun

sharp·shoot·er | \ ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər

plural sharpshooters

Definition of sharpshooter

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 More Example Sentences Learn More About sharpshooter

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 The sharpshooter teamed up with his younger brother Jett to lead the Nets to a 57-53 victory over the Heat to clinch the Cooper City Optimist Summer Basketball Senior Division. — Emmett Hall, Sun Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2022 The second-year sharpshooter from Iowa, who turned 23 on Tuesday, has agreed to a two-year, $4.4-million contract to join the Spurs in training camp. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Aug. 2022 Travis Diener is 40, and TBT allowed the seemingly ageless sharpshooter to add to his legend. — Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2022 With an aging supporting cast surrounding him, the 34-year-old sharpshooter has dialed in and taken over. — Alex Kay, Forbes, 13 June 2022 The Warriors sharpshooter has struggled thus far this series, going 10 of 33 from the field and 4 of 15 from 3-point range. — Tim Bielik, cleveland, 8 June 2022 The Warriors sharpshooter has struggled thus far this series, going 10 of 33 from the field and 4 of 15 from 3-point range. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 8 June 2022 The Orlando Magic have agreed to terms on an Exhibit 10 contract with former Wyoming sharpshooter Drake Jeffries, his agency One Motive Sports announced. — Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2022 The former 3-point sharpshooter and current ESPN analyst predicted on his podcast last week the Pistons will be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the next few seasons. — Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press, 18 July 2022 See More

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