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
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Soon, the pair are playing long-distance chess, air drumming, and taking competitive potshots at one another’s dishware.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead Trump has taken verbal potshots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Biden, suggesting their actions are to blame for the failure to contain the fires.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire’s lower chamber has four hundred people, nearly double the second-largest state legislature in the country, so there were plenty of representatives willing to take potshots at the hawk and belittle the children who wanted to honor it.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Verb
In a separate tweet, Ackman also took potshots at U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Soon, the pair are playing long-distance chess, air drumming, and taking competitive potshots at one another’s dishware.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead Trump has taken verbal potshots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Biden, suggesting their actions are to blame for the failure to contain the fires.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
New Hampshire’s lower chamber has four hundred people, nearly double the second-largest state legislature in the country, so there were plenty of representatives willing to take potshots at the hawk and belittle the children who wanted to honor it.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for potshot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for potshot
Verb
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The main target of the attack was Kyiv and the surrounding region, with Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions also attacked, the president said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
10 July 2025
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Making homes more energy efficient is also a way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus attack the cause of more frequent and severe heat waves.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Trade headlines are again weighing on the stock market, as President Donald Trump's latest tariff salvo helped fuel a sell-off on Monday .—
Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
7 July 2025
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The lawsuit marks the latest salvo in an ongoing fight over whether Jackson County’s ordinance stands up to legal scrutiny.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
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In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Despite the return of the daily barrage of trade headlines, the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq each closed at a record high Thursday.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
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Record barrages Russia has recently sought to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses with major attacks that include increasing numbers of decoy drones.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Heard believed someone behind him insulted him, leading to him shooting Betker Jr. multiple times, according to court documents.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
8 July 2025
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Financially blacklisting trans, intersex, and non-binary perspectives will rob us of a vital literature yet to be written while insulting the dignity of LGBTQIA+ people everywhere.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
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But Ashe is already halfway up the court, pouncing on the short ball and punching the volley away with ease to clinch the Wimbledon title.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
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After 54 years of tennis in Linwood, the club served its last volley in May.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Officials want Indianapolis parents to take responsibility for their children Speaking at a news conference over the weekend, Bailey scolded parents for allowing their children out at night unsupervised.—
Matthew Cupelli,
IndyStar,
7 July 2025
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Trump has publicly scolded Massie for his opposition.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Overview: Iron Dome's performance could be Golden Dome's opportunity Israel and Iran resumed fire exchanges at the end of last week, and space and defense enthusiasts have been following the fusillades.—
Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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Her eye for detail also brings alive the surreal sensory fusillade of the couple’s improbable rescue by the Wolmi 306, a South Korean fishing ship, and the celebrity that followed in its wake: photo ops, game-show appearances, a filmed visit to SeaWorld.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Potshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/potshot. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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