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

With all due respect to Charlotte’s terrific young sharpshooter, this should not be like the Kidd-Hill comparison of ’95. —Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026

The veteran sharpshooter made his first 3-pointer but missed his next four in a 1-for-6 start, during which the Thunder built an 11-3 lead. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

Wilson Bethel’s sharpshooter Bullseye has returned and saved Daredevil, but Cherry’s life still hangs in the balance. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026

Hawkeyes sharpshooter Alvaro Folgueiras delivered the dagger — a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 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