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
Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
The shootings stopped when a 16-year-old boy grabbed a shotgun and started firing back at Lopez, the sheriff office says.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for shotgun
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.
Noun
According to Minnesota Department of Health data, 63% of firearm deaths from 2015 to 2022 in Minnesota have been from handguns, 16% from shotguns, and 12% from rifles.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
The shootings stopped when a 16-year-old boy grabbed a shotgun and started firing back at Lopez, the sheriff office says.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for shotgun
Cite this Entry
“Shotgun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shotgun. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share