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
In a photo from a court document, a 12-gauge shotgun is shown inside a Rocky Ford residence inhabited by Mario Rocha. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Enola fearlessly climbs to the top of the carriage while wearing her white wedding dress, aiming a shotgun at the menacing figure. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 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
  • 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
  • And while towns in Clay, Platte and Johnson Counties have seen steady — if limited — growth, the bureau found, population figures in eastern Jackson County have been somewhat more scattershot.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 27 May 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
  • Fire officials deemed the fire accidental after determining that the family dog, Bo, jumped onto the kitchen counter and turned on the toaster, which ignited nearby combustibles.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Its lightweight, compliant structure makes accidental contact with people, pets and furniture far safer than conventional drones.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Definition of accidental
Noun
  • But a DeKalb County officer recently had his firearm in one hand and handcuffs in the other while trying to arrest a teenager who was on the ground with his hands behind his back.
    — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 12 July 2026
  • The Show-Me State also ranked in the top 10 for firearm deaths last year.
    — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of firearm
Adjective
  • That production cap isn't random – Ferrari carefully chose it to honor the 1,499cc displacement of the company's very first V12 engine introduced in 1947.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 July 2026
  • This equipment can also drift from its initial settings due to random factors, such as the hardware heating up as it’s used.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 10 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 16 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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