shotgun

1 of 2

noun

shot·​gun ˈshät-ˌgən How to pronounce shotgun (audio)
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 transitive verb
shotgunner noun

shotgun

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or using a shotgun
2
: involving coercion
3
: covering a wide field with hit-or-miss effectiveness

Examples of shotgun 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.
Noun
The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. Caroll Alvarado, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Intensely creepy and increasingly unhinged, Alejandro Amenábar’s supernatural chiller owes much to Kidman’s unwavering commitment as a distressed, shotgun-wielding mother trying to protect her children from the hauntings plaguing their remote country house in ’40s Jersey. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
In 2019, in non-shotgun formations, Jackson had 19 drop-backs and combined with Ravens running backs for 27 carries, according to Sports Info Solutions. Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 3 June 2021 Lunch and registration begin at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Post-Tribune, 7 July 2017 See All Example Sentences for shotgun

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shotgun was in 1776

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

shotgun

noun
shot·​gun
ˈshät-ˌgən
: a firearm used to fire small shot at short range

More from Merriam-Webster on shotgun

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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