shot·gun
ˈshät-ˌgən 
1
: a usually smoothbore shoulder weapon capable of firing shot at short ranges
2
: an offensive football formation in which the quarterback plays a few yards behind the line of scrimmage and the other backs are scattered as flankers or slotbacks
shotgun
transitive verb
1
: of, relating to, or using a shotgun
2
: involving coercion
3
: covering a wide field with hit-or-miss effectiveness
Examples of shotgun in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
The grandparents of a 5-year-old Michigan boy who was accidentally struck and killed by a shotgun shot in April have been arrested, according to court records obtained by news outlets.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for shotgun 
Noun
But still armed with a shotgun, Knowles ambushed the trooper and took him hostage, before using his squad car to pull over a businessman.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
The grandparents of a 5-year-old Michigan boy who was accidentally struck and killed by a shotgun shot in April have been arrested, according to court records obtained by news outlets.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for shotgun
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shotgun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
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