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 former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025 The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025 Because slingshots were much less common in 1989 than in the novel’s late-’50s setting, Muschietti left that out of his adaptations. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 Think giant inflatable hamster balls and a massive slingshot for flinging Christmas presents. Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 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 24 Dec. 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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