take a shot
idiom
1
: to fire a gun
He took a shot and missed.
—often + atHe took a shot at the deer.
2
: to try to hit
—+ at
She took a shot at me with a snowball but missed.
3
: to propel a ball or puck toward a goal
He took a shot and scored.
4
: to make a critical or hurtful remark about someone
—+ at
They took shots at each other throughout the debate.
5
: to attempt to do something successfully
—often + at
Take a shot at the math problem.
I never changed a tire before, but I'll take a shot at it.
6
informal
: to photograph something
—often + of
Be sure to take a shot of the house.
Examples of take a shot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Emmy watchers should not be surprised if multiple top contenders this year opt to take a shot at the drama series race rather than compete in the limited series category.
—
Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Joy Randolph and Emma Stone happily imbibe and host Jimmy Kimmel has celebs take a shot of Tequila Don Julio during the show.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
For the seedings and results to have worked out so that Jackson could take a shot at his contemporary on this stage is special.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Guignard captured the image from the swim-step on a dive boat, partially submerging both his body and his camera to take a shot that included the view above and below the water’s surface.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024
In a few instances, a single artist would take a shot all the way to completion — including some of the frames of the CG monster interacting with digital water.
—Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024
But before the Wolves could take a shot, Blair stole the ball in the paint and drew a foul with three seconds left.
—Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
More actors than ever are now stepping behind the camera to take a shot at directing.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Pink and black, time to take a shot.
—Vulture, 7 Jan. 2024
Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Joy Randolph and Emma Stone happily imbibe and host Jimmy Kimmel has celebs take a shot of Tequila Don Julio during the show.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
For the seedings and results to have worked out so that Jackson could take a shot at his contemporary on this stage is special.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Guignard captured the image from the swim-step on a dive boat, partially submerging both his body and his camera to take a shot that included the view above and below the water’s surface.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024
In a few instances, a single artist would take a shot all the way to completion — including some of the frames of the CG monster interacting with digital water.
—Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024
But before the Wolves could take a shot, Blair stole the ball in the paint and drew a foul with three seconds left.
—Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
More actors than ever are now stepping behind the camera to take a shot at directing.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Pink and black, time to take a shot.
—Vulture, 7 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take a shot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near take a shot
Cite this Entry
“Take a shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20shot. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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