shotgun

shot·gun | \ ˈshät-ˌgən

Definition of shotgun

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a usually smoothbore shoulder weapon capable of firing shot at short ranges

2 : an offensive football formation in which the quarterback plays a few yards behind the line of scrimmage and the other backs are scattered as flankers or slotbacks

shotgun

adjective

Definition of shotgun (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or using a shotgun

2 : involving coercion

3 : covering a wide field with hit-or-miss effectiveness

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Examples of shotgun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun McCall was inside, waiting with an AR-15 with a scope and two shotguns, police said. — Dallas News, "Man accused of killing Richardson cop during ambush faces death penalty trial next week," 13 Feb. 2020 The couple has tweaked Bock’s Jukejoint in the years since, adding a heat system, siding and plenty of decorations inspired by jukejoints and shotgun shacks the two visited on music tours to Clarksdale, Mississippi. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland, "Bock’s Jukejoint creates colorful Airbnb getaway for music fans," 11 Feb. 2020 Why does Biden believe that Americans have a right to own shotguns when an Auto-5 has no real chance against a hellfire missile? — David Harsanyi, National Review, "Joe Biden’s Incoherent Second Amendment Rant," 10 Feb. 2020 Justice eventually returned to the home on Hall Drive, went inside and came out the rear of the house with a shotgun pointed at his head, officials said. — Evan Sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "Rape suspect arrested following 4-hour standoff at Orinda home," 8 Feb. 2020 An hour upstream of Nueva Unión, Andueza’s boatman, José Inuma Macusi, shut his engine, grabbed his machete and leaped onto a dirt bank, slinging a single-barrel shotgun over his shoulder. — Daniel Grossman, Scientific American, "Peru’s Peatlands Could Greatly Accelerate Global Warming," 5 Feb. 2020 The man then sprang from the car and tried to level the shotgun at Neil. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "The first and last chaplain: Remembering Father Bruno Kremp," 31 Jan. 2020 The city chose The Marian Group to build 22 modern shotgun homes. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "What to know about controversial Paristown Pointe development after neighborhood meeting," 29 Jan. 2020 Soulard said squirrels can be hunted with small rifles such as a 22 caliber rifle, a pellet rifle or a small shotgun. — Meredith Spelbring, Detroit Free Press, "Squirrel hunting in Michigan exists: Here's what you need to know," 24 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Lunch and registration begin at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. — Post-Tribune, "Community calendar," 7 July 2017 Outing highlights include: Registration, lunch and a putting contest (noon) Shotgun start (1:30 p.m.) Dinner (6:30 p.m.) Proximities, skins, awards and a 50/50 raffle Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event. — Megan Becka, cleveland.com, "Akron Snow Angels to hold golf outing fundraiser," 13 June 2017 Outing highlights include: Registration, lunch and a putting contest (noon) Shotgun start (1:30 p.m.) Dinner (6:30 p.m.) Proximities, skins, awards and a 50/50 raffle Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event. — Megan Becka, cleveland.com, "Akron Snow Angels to hold golf outing fundraiser," 13 June 2017 Check-in at 11 a.m. followed by 1 p.m. shotgun start. — Nick Roth, The Mercury News, "Golf events, tournaments, fundraisers," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shotgun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.