slingshot

noun

sling·​shot ˈsliŋ-ˌshät How to pronounce slingshot (audio)
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
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.
The McLaren is so fast that my eyes feel like they’re getting pulled into my skull from behind, like a slingshot being readied. Nick Remsen, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025 Those elements make for quite a slingshot. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025 Police viewed surveillance video at a nearby Shell Station on The Plaza and saw the homicide victim assault Soth with a wooden stick and slingshot, the affidavit said. Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025 The ancient Greeks and Romans would either chisel or write phrases and symbols on projectiles like arrows or cast their own for slingshots, Hlebinsky said, adding the practice dates back as early as 400 BCE. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slingshot

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slingshot was in 1849

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Cite this Entry

“Slingshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slingshot. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

slingshot

noun
sling·​shot ˈsliŋ-ˌshät How to pronounce slingshot (audio)
: a forked stick with an elastic band attached for shooting small stones

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