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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Example Sentences
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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
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His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario.
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The video then shows the woman throwing Martinez to the ground, grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly attacking her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Noun
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Another salvo of rekindled patriotic spirit, on the way to the hearts of three hundred and fifty million Americans, was downrange and inbound.
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That's the opening salvo from Andrea Riquier's story on the state of the nation's housing market.
Verb
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Hakimi fired off the corner, followed by a header by Chadi Riad that was picked up by Rahimi, who slammed it into the upper right of the net.
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Goldman was slammed for refusing to decline support during this race from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which has become a significant split in various Democratic primaries this year.
Noun
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Following a barrage of teaser posts over the last couple of weeks, the ever-prolific pop singer has revealed that her official follow-up to 2022’s The Loneliest Time will be a 24-track double LP.
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The strike was part of an overnight barrage of 70 missiles and 611 drones, President Zelensky indicated.
Verb
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Someone else scolds the offender.
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This time, however, Charlotte promptly scolded him for his untoward behavior.
Noun
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Deep inside Uzbekistan's penalty area, Ronaldo struck a powerful right-footed volley into the net.
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Lopes notably threw himself in front of a Mikel Oyarzabal volley with just moments to go, a prime example of the back-four’s commitment to defending their goal.
Verb
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In that controversial match, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior had alleged that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni had racially insulted him.
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Shame on me for insulting a human being for doing their job.
Noun
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Iran’s military said the fusillade was a warning.
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Every stentorian chord became a hammer blow, flourishes intensified into fusillades, a tense pause into an apocalypse.
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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