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
David Herbert Donald2
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
Tim Crothers3
: 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
Carl ZimmerIn Temecula, disease-carrying sharpshooters have turned some vineyards into wastelands.—Steve Schmidt
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
Willard credited the Terps’ perimeter defense with making life difficult for Villanova’s sharpshooters.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
Gunmen from the Manfredi and Bevilaqua outfits, led by weed store employee and unlikely sharpshooter Grace, take out the rest of the Triads.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Former President Trump praised Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark in a recent interview before Americans head to the polls to cast a vote for president.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 4 Nov. 2024
They and Trump were struck when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from an unsecured rooftop nearby before he was fatally shot by sharpshooters.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sharpshooter 
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.
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
Gunmen from the Manfredi and Bevilaqua outfits, led by weed store employee and unlikely sharpshooter Grace, take out the rest of the Triads.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Former President Trump praised Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark in a recent interview before Americans head to the polls to cast a vote for president.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 4 Nov. 2024
They and Trump were struck when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from an unsecured rooftop nearby before he was fatally shot by sharpshooters.
—Adriana Gomez Licon, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sharpshooter
Dictionary Entries Near sharpshooter
Cite this Entry
“Sharpshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpshooter. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sharpshooter
noun
sharp·shoot·er
ˈshärp-ˌshüt-ər
: one skilled in shooting : a good marksman
sharpshooting
noun
-ˌshüt-iŋ
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share