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
And in the Pac-12 (4-seed Oregon) and ACC (10-seed NC State) Tournaments, a pair of true long shots stunned everyone to capture automatic bids to the Big Dance.
—
William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
This flashback kickoff, which looks to tell the devious origin story of the megachurch-leading Gemstone clan, went from long shot to lock quickly.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
In the extra frame, a long shot from Jace Panzer was easily kicked aside toward the left corner by St. Cloud Cathedral goalie Keaton LeGrande.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2025
The team was 7-7 when Penix took over for Cousins, with their playoff chances having turned from once strong into a long shot.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for long shot
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.
William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
This flashback kickoff, which looks to tell the devious origin story of the megachurch-leading Gemstone clan, went from long shot to lock quickly.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
In the extra frame, a long shot from Jace Panzer was easily kicked aside toward the left corner by St. Cloud Cathedral goalie Keaton LeGrande.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2025
The team was 7-7 when Penix took over for Cousins, with their playoff chances having turned from once strong into a long shot.
—Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 25 Feb. 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 22 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share