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
Once she was seated, Popham propped Bunyard's pump shotgun under Elaine's chin and pulled the trigger. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 This random, explosive fragmentation resembles the firing of a shotgun. — Jenny Whilde, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Verb
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
  • As seemingly scattershot as the box-office yields for these films can be, don’t expect live-action remakes of classic animation to turn into a pumpkin anytime soon.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • The two-bedroom duplex, Apartment 305-306, the aforementioned art studio, still has scattershot paint splatters on the floor and a library in the second room.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 July 2026
Definition of scattershot
Noun
  • Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original.
    — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Those artifacts include musket balls found in the floorboards years ago during a renovation of Hollis Hall, a dormitory that soldiers used during fighting.
    — Ira Porter, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2026
Definition of musket
Verb
  • And the Israeli army remains a few miles south, its presence marked by the occasional plume of smoke where its artillery hits, and the rip of machine-gun fire.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • Armed guards patrolled federal buildings; machine-gun-toting snipers perched on rooftops.
    — Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Definition of machine-gun
Adjective
  • These brands sought deep operational integration and audience engagement, contrasting with non-sponsors who gained accidental publicity from FIFA's strict clean-stadium rules.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The accidental discharge by the officer will be reviewed internally, the New London Police Department said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Definition of accidental
Noun
  • The foundations course is $499 and will include six hours of training covering the basics of the handgun, safety, practice with the simulator and live firearm training at a local shooting range.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • He was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of firearm
Adjective
  • Oen Sujet’s catalog sounds equally like the product of a random number generator or a malfunctioning algorithm as of a deeply mercurial artist.
    — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
  • That should show up in random DNA sequences only about once in 70 billion bases, and our genome is only about 3 billion bases.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 July 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
  • Only a few minutes earlier, Abulaila endured an inadvertent slap to his throat by Arnautovic on a pass into the box.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
  • Often, high achievers can get separated from the group, which creates an inadvertent spirit of isolationism, separating them from their peers and thereby creating an us-versus-them mentality.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 June 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 30 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shotgun

Nglish: Translation of shotgun for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shotgun

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