shotgun
noun
shot·gun
ˈshät-ˌgən 
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
Examples of shotgun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarhan and his colleagues cultured some of the samples, and also put some through a process called shotgun metagenomics, which involves sequencing all the bits of DNA floating around in a sample.
—
ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
Then, after banking as neatly as a flight of fighter planes, the flock of 20 mallards splashed down just out of range of our shotguns.
—Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
And in that moment, somewhere between the bench and the hospital, another Hurricane rode shotgun in an unmarked police car (silver Mustang, lights on) speeding toward the delivery room for the birth of his own son.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 4 June 2026
According to the autopsy, the cause of Beard's death was pulmonary embolism and bronchopneumonia with sepsis, a complication of his shotgun wound, according to court records.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shotgun
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.
ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
Then, after banking as neatly as a flight of fighter planes, the flock of 20 mallards splashed down just out of range of our shotguns.
—Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
And in that moment, somewhere between the bench and the hospital, another Hurricane rode shotgun in an unmarked police car (silver Mustang, lights on) speeding toward the delivery room for the birth of his own son.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 4 June 2026
According to the autopsy, the cause of Beard's death was pulmonary embolism and bronchopneumonia with sepsis, a complication of his shotgun wound, according to court records.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shotgun
Cite this Entry
“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
