shotgun 1 of 3

Definition of shotgunnext

shotgun

2 of 3

noun

shotgun

3 of 3

verb

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
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
Because the shotgun is historic, the Daniels were required to keep certain aspects of the home as-is, including the front of the building. Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Feb. 2026 About Hole Doughnuts Hole Doughnuts opened in a shotgun-style house between the French Broad River and Historic West Asheville in 2014. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 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
  • Then the French started to standardize their muskets.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
  • His 134 men were armed with musket, cartridge pouch, and sword in case of a hostile encounter, and the Africaansche Galey lay close by with a couple of small cannon brought forward on the bow.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Extensive redactions and scattershot releases have not shed much light on the most heinous of Epstein’s crimes, and the files have not resulted in any arrests or legal consequences here in the United States.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
  • At first, Hollywood didn't entirely know what to do with O'Hara and her scattershot style.
    ANDREW DALTON, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation allege the firearm used in the attack had been purchased by his father despite an earlier concern from law enforcement about the teen.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
  • In 2018, he was sentenced to another 10 years for possession of a firearm as a felon.
    Jim Beaugez, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Dressed in his all-white tuxedo and matching skates, camera operator Jordan Cowan has become an accidental star at this year’s Olympic figure skating events in Milan.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Several parents of children who died by suicide or accidental harm linked to online trends are expected to attend the proceedings.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 Feb. 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
  • Police said three of the guns had been reported stolen, and one handgun was equipped with a machine-gun conversion device.
    Sergio Candido, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Their recording was a kinetic thrashathon with machine-gun-fast guitar notes and solos and Hetfield’s convincing screams for mercy.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Threema uses a random ID rather than a phone number.
    Jennifer Lutz, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
  • These simulations weren’t random.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • According to federal authorities, Morales Tejada in October 2023 was convicted in Superior Court in Connecticut on charges of carrying a pistol without a permit and first-degree failure to appear.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Smith’s waders started to fill with water, and the pistol strapped to his chest felt like a weight pulling him under.
    Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shotgun. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

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