take a shot
idiom
1
: to fire a gun
He took a shot and missed.
—often + atHe took a shot at the deer.
2
: to try to hit
—+ at
She took a shot at me with a snowball but missed.
3
: to propel a ball or puck toward a goal
He took a shot and scored.
4
: to make a critical or hurtful remark about someone
—+ at
They took shots at each other throughout the debate.
5
: to attempt to do something successfully
—often + at
Take a shot at the math problem.
I never changed a tire before, but I'll take a shot at it.
6
informal
: to photograph something
—often + of
Be sure to take a shot of the house.
Examples of take a shot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tully’s sharpshooter tries to take a shot at Nolan, but Elsbeth sees the little red laser dot on his forehead and pushes him out of the way.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
For nearly the first hour of a Monday night matchup against Angel City FC, the Kansas City Current didn’t take a shot.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh's brother, David, took to X to take a shot at team owner Woody Johnson for firing his brother in hopes of sparking the team.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The Lions are trying to add points before the end of the half, and take a shot on second-and-manageable in Cleveland territory.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a shot
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Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
For nearly the first hour of a Monday night matchup against Angel City FC, the Kansas City Current didn’t take a shot.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh's brother, David, took to X to take a shot at team owner Woody Johnson for firing his brother in hopes of sparking the team.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The Lions are trying to add points before the end of the half, and take a shot on second-and-manageable in Cleveland territory.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a shot
Cite this Entry
“Take a shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20shot. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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