as in chance
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in musket
Related Words
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
Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 3 June 2021
Lunch and registration begin at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.
—Post-Tribune, 7 July 2017
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors said in an April 29 court filing that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, fired a shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading to the ballroom area before he was apprehended.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shotgun
Adjective
In 2019, in non-shotgun formations, Jackson had 19 drop-backs and combined with Ravens running backs for 27 carries, according to Sports Info Solutions.
—Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 3 June 2021
Lunch and registration begin at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.
—Post-Tribune, 7 July 2017
Noun
According to a criminal complaint, Allen traveled across state lines armed with a pump-action shotgun, semi-automatic pistol, and three knives, along with other gear.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors said in an April 29 court filing that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, fired a shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading to the ballroom area before he was apprehended.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 30 Apr. 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
Noun
-
Excerpts of the blue book, images of important battlefields and a replica of a Revolutionary War musket line the walls and bookshelves of the museum.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Other projectiles, including pistol shot and lead musket balls, were also found.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s something of a profit panic as the company tries to figure out how to make money from its scattershot AI enterprises, while Claude Code and Cowork from Anthropic emerged as the winners for enterprise AI spending.—
Elizabeth Lopatto,
The Verge,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Bondi’s scattershot compliance of that law drew outrage from victims.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Blanche said the changes bring gun regulations in line with Supreme Court precedents while cutting down on unnecessary burdens on firearms sellers and lawful gun owners.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2026
-
Allen, a California teacher, is charged with attempting to assassinate the president, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
An infant’s accidental exposure to an infected child can mean serious illness, brain swelling and sometimes death.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
An infant’s accidental exposure to an infected child can mean serious illness, brain swelling and sometimes death.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With feverish speed and characteristic blunderbuss, President Donald Trump has given the federal government – and himself – unprecedented control over private economic decisions.—
Matthew Mitchell,
Twin Cities,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Trump would also stop treating the Europeans as enemies with his blunderbuss tariffs.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Iranian speed boats raking ships with machine-gun fire in the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Senior Lieutenant Ivan Kavun, the commander of a machine-gun platoon in the 30th Mechanized Brigade, spent 486 days in a frontline deployment, according to his unit.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Those aren’t just random stories.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Law enforcement will also have random checkpoints throughout the county to catch impaired drivers, according to the department's website.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During raids in Czechia and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cole Tomas Allen, who authorities say rushed a banquet room at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night, had legally bought a 12-gauge shotgun at the Turner’s location in his hometown of Torrance, as well as a semiautomatic pistol at CAP Tactical Firearms in neighboring Lawndale.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shotgun. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
