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shotgun 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of shotgunnext
as in chance

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Dissimilar Words

shotgun

2 of 3

noun

as in musket

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shotgun

3 of 3

verb

as in to pistol

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shotgun
Adjective
Last season, Jackson went under center on just five drop-backs, while the Ravens’ primary ball-carriers had just 24 carries in non-shotgun looks. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 3 June 2021
Noun
Out of shotgun formation, Allen looked left before eventually finding Moore deep down the right sideline. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Lamb said the store had been selling everything from shotgun shells to rifle cartridges. — Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
There have been sets with three tight ends, formations that start under center and some that use formation shifts to move from a single-back set to shotgun. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 Westman had decorated the assault rifle and shotgun with hate speech in ways that aligned with the dark underbelly of alt-right meme culture that regularly disparages people of color, Jewish people, the LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. — Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shotgun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shotgun
  1. scattershot
  2. musket
  3. machine-gun
  4. accidental
  5. firearm
  6. random
  7. blunderbuss
  8. inadvertent
Adjective
  • Elwood scanned the bullet points, a scattershot list of demands.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • All this scattershot world-building and world-visiting allows for some colorfully diverting vignettes, in which production designer Alexandra Walker and costume designer Ann Maskrey get to show off their giddy, gaudy wares.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of scattershot
Noun
  • The ink came from the buds of oak leaves, swollen to the size of musket balls by the eggs of wasps.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The alleged texts between the boys, who attended Switzerland Point Middle School, contained information about building a shotgun and musket, as well as obtaining zip ties, per the arrest report.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of musket
Verb
  • Amid pratfalls and slapstick high jinks, Curry conducts his costars in a symphony of chaos, and rattles off zinger after zinger while also conveying the plot and ultimately the denouement in his machine-gun line readings.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The band blasted into a machine-gun pace, waking the entire crowd.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of machine-gun
Adjective
  • It’s ruled an accidental death, but Neagley feels something is off.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Officials said the cause of the fire appeared to be accidental, but remained under investigation early Monday.
    — Dylan Olsen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of accidental
Noun
  • Suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and CDC data released this year show firearm suicides actually climbed to their highest level on record in 2025, topping 28,000.
    — Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • But after his son Eugene Horsch, 44, was arrested in June on charges involving unlawful firearms and forgery, police made a series of unsettling discoveries at the family home on Chew Avenue in Philly's Olney neighborhood.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of firearm
Adjective
  • In 1900, French mathematician Louis Bachelier used mathematics to model the random movement of prices in his Sorbonne thesis.
    — Mamadou-Abou Sarr, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • How the Blue Cross fraud claims unfolded In January 2023, Blue Cross NC’s special investigations unit flagged C&FD and requested medical, operational and credentialing records for a random sample of 419 member claims, according to the lawsuit.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of random
Noun
  • Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.
    — Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Cost cutting ‘blunderbuss’ DOGE is part of a long line of presidential efforts to take an ax to the administrative state.
    — Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Definition of blunderbuss
Adjective
  • The referees called a play dead over an inadvertent whistle that set up another third-down play.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the shortstop’s inadvertent trespassing into Bush’s headspace, the president sidestepped the ceremonial mark at the front of the mound and toed the rubber like a pro.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of inadvertent

Browse Nearby Words

shot down
shotgun
shotgunned
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Cite this Entry

“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shotgun. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shotgun

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shotgun

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