long shot
noun
1
: a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful
also
: a venture unlikely to succeed
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
3
: a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great
Examples of long shot in a Sentence
I hope to double my profits, but I know that's a long shot.
The horse was a long shot, but we bet on him anyway.
She always bets on long shots at the racetrack.
Recent Examples on the Web
Customs doesn’t have the capacity to handle it by a long shot.
—
Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Name a long shot to win Kellenberger: A list of long shots at the Masters is always going to intrigue, filled with the second-tier PGA Tour stars and a heavy list of former champions that could theoretically pull a Jack in ’86 and find the magic just one more time.
—Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
In the 12 years of studying this market and seven or eight years writing China Last Night, today’s market action doesn’t make the top 10 drawdowns by a long shot.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Jeffery Simmons This one is a long shot, because there’s no real reason for the Titans to want to trade Simmons, 27, one of the best defensive tackles in football.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for long shot
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Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Name a long shot to win Kellenberger: A list of long shots at the Masters is always going to intrigue, filled with the second-tier PGA Tour stars and a heavy list of former champions that could theoretically pull a Jack in ’86 and find the magic just one more time.
—Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
In the 12 years of studying this market and seven or eight years writing China Last Night, today’s market action doesn’t make the top 10 drawdowns by a long shot.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Jeffery Simmons This one is a long shot, because there’s no real reason for the Titans to want to trade Simmons, 27, one of the best defensive tackles in football.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for long shot
Cite this Entry
“Long shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20shot. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
long shot
noun1
: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning
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