sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshü-tər 

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

Synonyms

• marksman
• shooter
• shot

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

After a dismal 31% from three last season, Hart’s resurgence as a sharpshooter is critical in a Knicks offense transformed by the offseason acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024

Scoring, though, should not be an issue with scorer Walter Clayton Jr. and 3-point sharpshooter Will Richard leading the way. —Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024

The series follows six outcasts, including a convict, sharpshooter, runaway, spy, thief and a Heartrender, who need to complete a heist without killing each other first. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 5 Sep. 2024

Willard credited the Terps’ perimeter defense with making life difficult for Villanova’s sharpshooters. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sharpshooter

noun

sharp·​shoot·​er ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər 

: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman

sharpshooting

-ˌshüt-iŋ

noun