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 SchmidtExamples of sharpshooter in a Sentence
the police stationed sharpshooters on rooftops all along the route of the presidential motorcade
Recent Examples on the Web
The 6-10 forward, a sharpshooter in his own right, averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 77 games last season, shooting 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from deep.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
Clark fans have suggested that the lack of protection for the Fever sharpshooter could lead her toward building her own professional basketball league.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Sniper stars Berenger and Zane as two sharpshooters on a mission to assassinate a politician/rebel leader in the jungles of Panama.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 10 May 2025
Helicopter sharpshooters removed over 1,200 sheep in just one week of aerial hunting.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
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.
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
Clark fans have suggested that the lack of protection for the Fever sharpshooter could lead her toward building her own professional basketball league.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Sniper stars Berenger and Zane as two sharpshooters on a mission to assassinate a politician/rebel leader in the jungles of Panama.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 10 May 2025
Helicopter sharpshooters removed over 1,200 sheep in just one week of aerial hunting.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sharpshooter
Cite this Entry
“Sharpshooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpshooter. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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