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
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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Meanwhile, supporters insist their goal is not to attack a student, but to defend women’s sports.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Wilson, who is also the company’s second largest shareholder, launched his latest salvo last December in his campaign against the company’s management.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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Katz promised Monday’s salvo won’t be the last such attack.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Household items, including an air-conditioner, shot outward, slamming into the building across the narrow street.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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Steyer, a former hedge fund manager and longtime Democratic donor, has also slammed Becerra’s campaign for accepting a maximum $39,200 contribution from Chevron.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Ukraine launched one of its largest drone barrages of the war, killing at least three people near Moscow and another in Belgorod and wounding a dozen more, officials said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
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The internet absolutely let Clavicular have it, ridiculing the influencer with a barrage of memes.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
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Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Highlights will include Presentation of Colors, military band performance, remarks by military and civic leaders and Missing Man Formation flyover, 21-gun rifle volley and Taps.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
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Beua Leroux slammed home a volley in the 18th minute and Reid Roberts scored his first MLS goal in the 81st for San Jose.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Trump quickly responded on Truth Social, insulting his job as chancellor.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
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In each episode a different guest sometimes played by a celebrity like Kumail Nanjiani or Atsuka Okatsu will walk through the door to get insulted by the pair.—
Joshua Dudley,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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But the two leading Democratic candidates endured a fusillade of incoming fire from opponents who still hope to claim one of the two spots in a runoff, following the June 2 primary election.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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Every stentorian chord became a hammer blow, flourishes intensified into fusillades, a tense pause into an apocalypse.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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