sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər How to pronounce sharpshooter (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sharpshooter thrived coming off the bench for the Sun over the last 16 games of the year. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2025 Listen to this article 2 min Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had a heated exchange after the Indiana Fever sharpshooter fouled the Chicago Sky forward in the third quarter of their matchup Saturday. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2025 The bench sharpshooter also has been quiet this postseason, totaling 16 points (the fewest of any rotation player) over six games. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025 At the time of the event, the sharpshooter couldn’t recall the actor’s actual name and resorted to calling him by the name of the fictional thief. Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sharpshooter

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sharpshooter was in 1794

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharpshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpshooter. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

sharpshooter

noun
sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər How to pronounce sharpshooter (audio)
: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman
sharpshooting
-ˌshüt-iŋ
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sharpshooter

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