sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər How to pronounce sharpshooter (audio)
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
2
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
3
: 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
In Temecula, disease-carrying sharpshooters have turned some vineyards into wastelands.Steve Schmidt

Examples of sharpshooter in a Sentence

the police stationed sharpshooters on rooftops all along the route of the presidential motorcade
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Brigham Young University alumni and donors haven’t had a chance to root on their school in a Sweet 16 game since 2011 when sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette carried the team into the national spotlight. Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Brad Sigmon, 67, is scheduled to go in front of a row of sharpshooters on Friday, March 7. Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025 Chicago received sharpshooter Kevin Huerter from Sacramento. Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025 Christian Braun and Peyton Watson have picked up some of the slack, but recent history tells us what happens in the postseason when a sharpshooter becomes an Otterpop. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sharpshooter

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sharpshooter was in 1794

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharpshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpshooter. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

sharpshooter

noun
sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər How to pronounce sharpshooter (audio)
: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman
sharpshooting
-ˌshüt-iŋ
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sharpshooter

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