shooting

noun

shoot·​ing ˈshü-tiŋ How to pronounce shooting (audio)
plural shootings
1
: the act of shooting a gun
But shooting is many a man's choice, especially up at the great hunting clubs like Choctaw Bluff …Harriet de Rosišre
2
: an instance of gun violence directed toward a person or group of people
a drive-by shooting
mass shootings
… a clutch of outspoken student activists flipped the national script on school shootings in America.Dahlia Lithwick
3
: the act of photographing or filming someone or something
A large fan specially designed to create the effect of wind during shooting.Ira Konigsberg
That part of filmmaking that comes immediately after the shooting is completed …Ira Konigsberg

Examples of shooting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In less than 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon, two 911 calls led police in Texas and Washington to two mass shootings that pushed the nation to a gruesome milestone. Bonnie Berkowitz, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 Advertisement Powell was arrested Wednesday night in Beverly Hills during a traffic stop after his car was linked to a fatal shooting three days earlier in San Dimas. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 One more of their cases was in file review, while another was the police shooting of an armed suspect. Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 3 Dec. 2023 Ryan Hopkins pleaded guilty in San Diego Superior Court to assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the May 7 shooting of 68-year-old Annette Pershal. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2023 The vehicle and handgun were also linked to the home robbery shooting, authorities said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Dec. 2023 Zion Carr, who witnessed his aunt Atatiana Jefferson’s fatal shooting by police in 2019, will receive a $3.5 million settlement from Fort Worth, according to city officials. Melissa Noel, Essence, 1 Dec. 2023 The name of the highway patrol officer involved in Sunday's shooting had not been disclosed as of late Tuesday afternoon. Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023 No motive was known in the shooting, and no suspects were identified immediately. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shooting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shooting was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near shooting

Cite this Entry

“Shooting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shooting. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

shooting

adjective
shoot·​ing
: characterized by sudden sharp piercing sensations
shooting pains
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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