as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
The comic ended the show with a rant in which he potshot an assortment of celebrities.
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Recent Examples of potshot
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2024
The melodramatic Bea often takes potshots at spirited newcomer Ndidi (the deft Aisha Sougou) over coveted customers in some of the play’s funniest moments.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Elsewhere, Trump took his now-familiar potshots at electric vehicle mandates, green energy, and Harris, drawing laughter from the crowd.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Oct. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Noun
The high-speed pursuit includes a procession of would-be sharpshooters taking potshots at her, including Yippie & the Kiyays, Sadie the Stabber & the Crazyboys, Rowdy Ricky & the Red Flags, and the mega-jacked Derk Delusional (the One to Outrun).
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2024
The melodramatic Bea often takes potshots at spirited newcomer Ndidi (the deft Aisha Sougou) over coveted customers in some of the play’s funniest moments.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Elsewhere, Trump took his now-familiar potshots at electric vehicle mandates, green energy, and Harris, drawing laughter from the crowd.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Oct. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
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Particularly his ability to do things at such high speed and to help begin attacking moves in his own half.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Police are searching for three suspects who were caught on video repeatedly attacking a 61-year-old trans woman outside of her convenience store in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The video was the crudest salvo in a media campaign that started soon after the publication of Ayyub’s book.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Trump’s executive order is the opening salvo in what could be a lengthy battle to overhaul the accrediting industry.—
Collin Binkley and Jocelyn Gecker,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The estate's lawsuit said Clyde Leach’s Tesla Model Y suddenly accelerated, went off the road and slammed into a pillar at an Ohio gas station.—
Mike Scarcella,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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However, prosecutors allege that a drunk and angry Read knowingly slammed her SUV into her boyfriend -- Boston police officer John O'Keefe -- outside of a get-together at another officer's home and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Prior to release, a leaker hacked into the systems of the developers at Naughty Dog and spoiled major plot points from the story months in advance, which fueled a barrage of toxic responses, including death threats, against the creators.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Houthis have continued to launch more than a dozen ballistic missiles at Israel, and barrages of drones and missiles at US navy ships.—
Kareem El Damanhoury,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Richie's wife verbally attacks Maeve, even stooping so low as to look her up and down and insult her appearance.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Have you guys been insulting each other publicly for decades?—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The comments are the latest volley in an escalating battle between the White House and the nation's most prestigious college.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2025
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Forward Michelle Agyemang, who had only entered the match 41 seconds earlier, watched the ball, took one touch to control it with her right thigh, swivelled her hips and smashed a volley into the back of the net.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Today's top stories President Trump scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday after Russia launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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That, in the end, is the heart of the spectacle of Noem’s militaristic videos and Leavitt’s scolding and lies.—
Constance Grady,
Vox,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Lately, the federal judiciary has responded with impressive speed and fortitude to Trump’s fusillade of executive orders and other actions.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Some of the humor has a barbed, geopolitical aim in a war for the world’s hearts and minds — see the Chinese government’s fusillade of memes — but political scientists say that, for many people, humor is a natural response to stressful times.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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