shots

plural of shot
1
as in firings
a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece cannon operators often had to use several shots to figure out the range of their targets

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2
3
as in photos
a picture created from an image recorded on a light-sensitive surface by a camera took a shot of his family for the scrapbook

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4
as in shooters
a person skilled in shooting at a target a soldier who's an excellent shot with a rifle

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5
as in sips
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time drank a shot of whisky

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6
as in guesses
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence I have no idea what's different about you, but I'll take a shot: you cut your hair?

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7
as in opportunities
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place we have a real shot at getting into the championship if we win this next match

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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 shots Doyle was riding in a BMW being driven by Gary Hutch—a nephew of the Hutch gang’s patriarch, Gerry—when a gunman fired several shots into the car, causing a crash. Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 During the altercation, Lind drew a gun and fired off shots, killing Emma Borhanian, one of the Zizians. Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025 Later in the track, Cardi continues to diss BIA while taking shots at her looks at lack of award show hardware. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025 Several shots and pills of 7-OH of a brand called O’Heaven were displayed right next to the cash register. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025 Brittany also included photos of Sterling meeting a dolphin, a sweet mother-daughter snap of her and Golden posing by a sea lion at SeaWorld San Diego, and shots of her older kids enjoying Legoland. Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Whatever evil befalls the poor child is left up to viewers' imaginations, and this is accomplished by a chilling series of shots and a daunting musical motif. Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025 But another luxury that Tocchet has that could buy him and the Flyers more time to figure the offensive part out — other than the Cates line — is goaltender Dan Vladar, who stopped 15 of 16 shots on Saturday in improving to 2-1-0. Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 The clapping served as an audible reminder of the Aztecs’ offensive inadequacies, and players visibly tightened as the clanked shots and errant passes mounted. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shots
Noun
  • Trade unions are few and attempts to organize are met with threats, firings and, in some cases, violence, the workers said.
    Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • During the McCarthy era, firings came by memo, not trial.
    Alexis Coe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Pineiro finished off the second half’s opening drive with a 43-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 13-3 and making him 17-of-17 on field-goal attempts since replacing Jake Moody in Week 2.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Owens led the Aggies with 69 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 attempts.
    Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The 41-year-old actor took to Instagram to share his before-and-after photos.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Eleven of the contestants walked the red carpet, posing for photos and sharing stories about life on the road.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When the big moment finally arrived, Wulff handed D’Alessio and her husband their confetti shooters.
    Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Starting Brandin Podziemski at point guard, Jonathan Kuminga next to Draymond Green at forward, and flanked by Quinten Post and Buddy Hield as shooters, the ragtag Warriors sputtered early, falling behind 63-46 by halftime.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • An employee was observed drinking a beverage at the kitchen from an unapproved cup and placing it on the food prep table between sips.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Wearing multiple layers — including a chunky beanie and hoodie — a smiling, unshaven Bieber sings in between sips.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Reddit Reacts The Reddit thread quickly filled with lighthearted guesses about the dog’s breed.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Until the shutdown is resolved, businesses and policymakers will have to make their best guesses about which way the economy is going.
    Scott Horsley, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One entrepreneur pitched the idea of a small-business liaison or task force that could answer questions and alert business owners to resources, grants and other opportunities.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Ohtani seeing more lefties set up more opportunities for the right-handed hitters behind him.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • No team has done that in the regular season in the last 24 tries.
    Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
  • This will be another attempt to approve legislation to fund the government, following seven previous unsuccessful tries.
    Terry Moseley, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Shots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shots. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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