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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of potshot
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
12 Nov. 2025
No, Sean Payton wasn’t throwing a stray potshot at his special teams coordinator.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
3 Nov. 2025
As evidenced by this weekend’s flurry of festivities around its 50th anniversary, SNL has survived all the potshots.
—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
Taking a potshot is a 90-day misdemeanor, plus fines.
—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
6 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Noun
No one takes potshots at Washington or Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin, the usual lineup of Founding Fathers.
—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
12 Nov. 2025
No, Sean Payton wasn’t throwing a stray potshot at his special teams coordinator.
—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
3 Nov. 2025
As evidenced by this weekend’s flurry of festivities around its 50th anniversary, SNL has survived all the potshots.
—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
Taking a potshot is a 90-day misdemeanor, plus fines.
—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
6 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
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He is accused of attacking a 27-year-old man with a beer mug inside the Hula Bar on Saturday night.
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Liv Morgan controversially interrupted Iyo Sky's coronation, attacking her and forcing a tap-out.
Noun
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The suit, covered by major news media this week, was their latest salvo after months of lying low.
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Blockbuster trades between Milwaukee and Miami, Charlotte and Minnesota, and Memphis and Portland are three massive shots during the offseason transaction salvo.
Verb
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As officers came close, the tow truck slammed on its brakes, causing the squad car to collide with the rear of the truck, the source said.
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The fatal hit-and-run occurred less than two hours after a 13-year-old boy was killed riding on the back of a moped in Queens after his friend slammed into an open car door and then careened into a moving truck.
Noun
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Gibson retires the first two batters before giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, followed by the homer barrage.
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Beneath its gleeful barrage of kink, karaoke, and absurdist comedy lies a sharp satire of exclusion, identity, and liberation within contemporary Queer culture.
Verb
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Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.
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Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.
Noun
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Djokovic went up a quick break for 3-0 in the fourth set, and closed it out with a serve and volley winner.
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On the subsequent rebound, the ball found Kovačić at the top of the box, but his right-footed volley was barely deflected over the net by Diogo Costa.
Verb
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Screenshots shared with The Charlotte Observer by Moore show Bogan has repeatedly messaged Reform Stables’ business associates or fellow event organizers with allegations about the stable and Moore, and insulted him online.
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Sigcho-Lopez then turned around to face aldermen sitting in the back row who appeared to be insulting him during the exchange.
Noun
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Iran’s military said the fusillade was a warning.
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The world now knew that the Biden administration had offered to evacuate Zelenskyy from Kyiv as invading Russian forces closed in on Ukraine's capital following a savage fusillade of airstrikes on cities and military bases around Ukraine.
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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