slingshot
noun
sling·shot
ˈsliŋ-ˌshät 
1
: a forked stick with an elastic band attached for shooting small stones
2
a
: a maneuver in auto racing in which a drafting car accelerates past the car in front by taking advantage of reserve power
b
: a dragster in which the driver sits behind the rear wheels
Examples of slingshot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If all had gone according to plan, four astronauts might have been returning just this week from a history-making, 10-day slingshot trip around the moon.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Arutyunyan instructed Malinin to think of himself as a slingshot while approaching his jumps.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The crew’s closest approach to the moon’s surface will be about 4,000 miles above the lunar peaks, increasing to its record-breaking distance of 4,700 miles on the far side, before lunar gravity slingshots the ship back to Earth on another four-day journey.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
With Alex Carr defending the slot-line pass, Hagens approached the right dot and snapped a slingshot through Chauvette to give BC a 4-2 lead.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slingshot
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Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Arutyunyan instructed Malinin to think of himself as a slingshot while approaching his jumps.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The crew’s closest approach to the moon’s surface will be about 4,000 miles above the lunar peaks, increasing to its record-breaking distance of 4,700 miles on the far side, before lunar gravity slingshots the ship back to Earth on another four-day journey.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
With Alex Carr defending the slot-line pass, Hagens approached the right dot and snapped a slingshot through Chauvette to give BC a 4-2 lead.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slingshot
Cite this Entry
“Slingshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slingshot. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slingshot
noun
sling·shot
ˈsliŋ-ˌshät
: a forked stick with an elastic band attached for shooting small stones
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