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
Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Oct. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
Key bandmembers Waters and David Gilmour (pictured above right and left, respectively, in the early 1970s), have been feuding for decades, taking public potshots at each other while recently trying to find enough common ground to close a deal.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Members of the French Grande Armée—which included many Protestants and Catholics from Germany, Italy, and Poland—had defecated in the Kremlin’s Orthodox churches and taken potshots at the holy icons.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
See all Example Sentences for potshot 
Noun
Elsewhere, Trump took his now-familiar potshots at electric vehicle mandates, green energy, and Harris, drawing laughter from the crowd.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Oct. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
Key bandmembers Waters and David Gilmour (pictured above right and left, respectively, in the early 1970s), have been feuding for decades, taking public potshots at each other while recently trying to find enough common ground to close a deal.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
Members of the French Grande Armée—which included many Protestants and Catholics from Germany, Italy, and Poland—had defecated in the Kremlin’s Orthodox churches and taken potshots at the holy icons.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
See all Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
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Based on open-source evidence and the man’s own social-media content, the group traced him to a brigade in Gaza that had attacked residential areas, religious sites, markets, and schools where civilians were present.Annie Hylton, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
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On screen, viewers witness Mormon soldiers disguised as Native Americans attacking a group of pioneers traveling westward.Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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While visible to Russian air defenses, these could be overcome by a salvo of 20 missiles.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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President-elect Donald Trump fired another salvo in his long-running effort to have his New York criminal conviction tossed, with his attorneys alleging earlier this month that there was juror misconduct during his trial.Graham Kates, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Cops said Michael Colonna, 35, crossed over the center yellow line and slammed into Dora Salmeron, 53, according to Newsday.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025
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Brainard was additionally charged with intimidation; 18-year-old Kevin Carroll, who allegedly slammed the victim's head into the car door, is accused of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.Christina Coulter, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As insurance companies operating in the area expect a barrage of damage claims in the coming days and weeks, Newsweek looked at insurers that previously declined the most claims.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
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The Knicks outscored the Bucks 39-29, then maintained their barrage when Brunson returned from his shoulder scare.Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The pair have taken shots at each other over the years, with Shaq being the primary aggressor, sporadically insulting his predecessor with unflattering jokes and blatant slights.Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Some people may feel slighted or insulted by your detailed explanations.Ryley Amond, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Paulo Dybala’s sumptuous equaliser, a volley off a backheel flick by Artem Dovbyk, was missed by all but the Roma supporters at San Siro.James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
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The clinic shut down after being struck by a volley of drone strikes.Declan Walsh, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But after one more chuckle, Julia jumps in and scolds her too.Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025
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Copied Share Laughter as Putin appears to scold the moderator Keir Simmons Reporting from Moscow Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov who is moderating the conference scolded people for asking more than one question, only to be mildly mocked by Putin.NBC News, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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What about Chase answering Jackson’s fusillade with 212 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the second half, even as the Ravens knew Joe Burrow would be looking for No. 1 on all the biggest downs?Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2024
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Like a similar fusillade from Tehran in April, the main effect of the barrage was to stoke worries that Israel’s retaliation would ignite a regional war that drags in the United States, and opens whole new realms of uncertainty.Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 7 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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