as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
The comic ended the show with a rant in which he potshot an assortment of celebrities.
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Recent Examples of potshot
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025
No, Sean Payton wasn’t throwing a stray potshot at his special teams coordinator.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2025
As evidenced by this weekend’s flurry of festivities around its 50th anniversary, SNL has survived all the potshots.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Taking a potshot is a 90-day misdemeanor, plus fines.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 6 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Noun
No one takes potshots at Washington or Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin, the usual lineup of Founding Fathers.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025
No, Sean Payton wasn’t throwing a stray potshot at his special teams coordinator.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2025
As evidenced by this weekend’s flurry of festivities around its 50th anniversary, SNL has survived all the potshots.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Taking a potshot is a 90-day misdemeanor, plus fines.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 6 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
-
Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
-
Akindahunsi is accused of attacking several women the night of May 28.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The opening salvo of the assault is intended to distract the Russians and permit four other robots to get behind enemy lines.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Launched overnight on Thursday to Friday, the drone salvo — one of Ukraine's deadliest such strikes in months — also wounded 42 in Starobilsk, in the occupied Lugansk region, trapping people beneath the debris.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Williams belted a walk-off moonshot for a 5-4 win, and Canady slammed the door shut for a 2-0 clincher.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The teenager received a standing ovation before Cowell slammed his Golden Buzzer.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
And passing overhead is a constant barrage of airplanes as the city sits directly beneath the airport’s flight path, but the noise is hardly bothersome.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Andrew Heitzman and his officers heard a barrage of gunfire on the other end of a 911 call.—
Noah Daly
Updated June 1,
Idaho Statesman,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
-
Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
But when Saline residents finally had their chance to speak, a volley of pointed questions followed.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
But the rebound went right to Chawinga at the 6-yard box and her volley attempt was turned aside by Legacy defender Jorelyn Carabalí.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Stop insulting everyone’s intelligence with false hope.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
-
That might be stretching it, actually; at worst, Meg could be played as a nymphomaniac who refused to take no for an answer from an American who could never get drunk enough to kiss rather than insult her.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Noun
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But the two leading Democratic candidates endured a fusillade of incoming fire from opponents who still hope to claim one of the two spots in a runoff, following the June 2 primary election.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Every stentorian chord became a hammer blow, flourishes intensified into fusillades, a tense pause into an apocalypse.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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