ric·o·chet
ˈri-kə-ˌshā 
British also -ˌshet
: a glancing rebound (as of a projectile off a flat surface)
the ricochet of the bullet off the wall
ricocheted
ˈri-kə-ˌshād
also ricochetted
ˈri-kə-ˌshe-təd
; ricocheting
ˈri-kə-ˌshā-iŋ
also ricochetting
ˈri-kə-ˌshe-tiŋ
also ricochetted
ˈri-kə-ˌshe-təd
; ricocheting
ˈri-kə-ˌshā-iŋ
also ricochetting
ˈri-kə-ˌshe-tiŋ
: to bounce or skip with or as if with a glancing rebound
The bullet that hit President Reagan had ricocheted off the presidential limousine.—
David Fisher
David FisherThe ball ricochets at a right angle, falling with force into the first baseman's glove …—Bob Drury
Bob DruryThe chute snaps open, the sound ricocheting through the gorge like a gunshot, and McGuire is soaring, carving S turns into the air, swooping over a winding creek.—Karl Taro Greenfeld
Karl Taro Greenfeld
Examples of ricochet in a Sentence
Noun
He was hit by a ricochet.
the ricochet of the bullet off the wall
Verb
The bullet ricocheted off the wall.
the ball ricocheted off the fielder's glove and went over the fence for a home run
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Reid, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Police said the two victims were hospitalized with wounds to their lower bodies, one from a bullet and the other apparently from a ricochet.
—Paul Duggan, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024
Individual poems often ricochet around the internet and gain a significant and diverse readership, whereas even prize-winning books are invisible beyond the poetry world.
—Christian Wiman, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ricochet 
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Noun
But for movies, the value of winning an award and making a speech in front of a national TV audience and also everybody who’s going to be voting for the Oscars has given the Golden Globes some ricochet value.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Police said the two victims were hospitalized with wounds to their lower bodies, one from a bullet and the other apparently from a ricochet.
—Paul Duggan, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Verb
The plot ricochets back and forth between the immediacy of the intruder flashbacks that reveal the series of horrifying scenarios that led the family to this exact moment.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024
Individual poems often ricochet around the internet and gain a significant and diverse readership, whereas even prize-winning books are invisible beyond the poetry world.
—Christian Wiman, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ricochet
Dictionary Entries Near ricochet
Cite this Entry
“Ricochet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ricochet. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ricochet
1 of 2 noun
ric·o·chet
ˈrik-ə-ˌshā
British also -ˌshet
1
: a bouncing off at an angle (as of a bullet off a flat surface)
2
: an object that ricochets
ricochet
2 of 2 verb
ricocheted
-ˌshād
also ricochetted
-ˌshet-əd
; ricocheting
-ˌshā-iŋ
also ricochetting
-ˌshet-iŋ
: to bounce off at an angle
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