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

• 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

That’s how most others in the gym felt, too — even if the luminary sharpshooter never put on a uniform. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 29 May 2025

But the sharpshooter struggled mightily for much of these playoffs until finally breaking through on Monday for a 21-point performance. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025

The former journeyman sharpshooter, who rose to his current gig after championship architect Bob Myers stepped down, recently reflected on his plans for the Warriors' future personnel, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle subbed out Nesmith for just under three minutes before the torrid stretch, allowing the sharpshooter to return with fresh legs in the comeback attempt. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 May 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