sharpshooter
noun
sharp·shoot·er
ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər 
plural sharpshooters
1
: a person who is highly skilled in shooting a weapon (such as a rifle) at a mark or target
a police sharpshooter
Determined to prevent any attempt on Lincoln's life, General Winfield Scott had placed sharpshooters on the roofs of buildings along the avenue …—
David Herbert Donald
David Herbert Donald2
sports
: a consistently accurate shooter (as in basketball)
A 6' 9" sharpshooter who several NBA scouts predict will be a first-round pick …—Tim Crothers
Tim Crothers3
: any of various large leafhoppers that have powerful hind legs with spines on the tibia
The sharpshooter uses a needlelike mouthpart to suck fluids from trees and plants. As it goes from one to the next, it spreads diseases that can wipe out orange groves and other crops.—Carl Zimmer
Carl ZimmerIn Temecula, disease-carrying sharpshooters have turned some vineyards into wastelands.—Steve Schmidt
Steve SchmidtExamples of sharpshooter in a Sentence
the police stationed sharpshooters on rooftops all along the route of the presidential motorcade
Recent Examples on the Web
New Orleans sharpshooter Trey Murphy made three triples in a 67-second span late in the third to pull the Pelicans back into the contest as Minnesota failed to take away his air space.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
The Pistons, too, made their own trade deadline move, dealing scoring guard Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade bringing sharpshooter Kevin Huerter to Detroit.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Lakers acquire sharpshooter Luke Kennard from Atlanta for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 draft pick.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Craig Hodges, the former Chicago Bulls sharpshooter, lost his career in part because of his activism.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sharpshooter
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Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
The Pistons, too, made their own trade deadline move, dealing scoring guard Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade bringing sharpshooter Kevin Huerter to Detroit.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
The Lakers acquire sharpshooter Luke Kennard from Atlanta for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 draft pick.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Craig Hodges, the former Chicago Bulls sharpshooter, lost his career in part because of his activism.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sharpshooter
Cite this Entry
“Sharpshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpshooter. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sharpshooter
noun
sharp·shoot·er
ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər
: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman
sharpshooting
noun
-ˌshüt-iŋ
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