1
: a battle fought with handguns or rifles
2
: something resembling a shoot-out
broadly : showdown
3
: a shooting competition in overtime that is used to determine the winner of a game (as in soccer or hockey) tied at the end of regular play

Examples of shoot-out in a Sentence

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.
McClean’s last act in a Wrexham shirt was to miss a penalty in the shoot-out against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round. Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026 Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson’s game-winning goal in a shoot-out against Canadian goalie Shannon Szabodos sealed the fifth game. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026 Can Maye win a shoot-out in Charm City? Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025 The video appears to show a shoot-out continuing moments later, as a second gunman standing on a bridge fires repeatedly toward people attempting to intervene. Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shoot-out

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoot-out was in 1948

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Cite this Entry

“Shoot-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoot-out. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

shoot-out

noun
ˈshüt-ˌau̇t
: a battle fought with handguns or rifles
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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