-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
shot clock
noun
: a clock in basketball that displays a countdown of the time within which shooting the ball is required
Examples of shot clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tigers’ penultimate possession drained the shot clock down to near zero and ended with a heave by Bates that found only iron.
—
The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2025
Diarra grabbed a critical offensive rebound with 25 seconds to go and Hurley called a timeout, but the shot clock expired just before Ross could get off a potential game-tying floater with five seconds on the clock.
—
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2025
Turnovers came from every angle — dribbling off their feet, chucking passes out of bounds, hanging onto the ball until the shot clock expired and a particularly egregious carry by Zach LaVine, who lazily trapped the ball against his chest while attempting to navigate a screen in the fourth quarter.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
The Chicago Bulls have taken 763 3s in the first nine seconds on the shot clock, per NBA Stats.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shot clock 
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1967, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to shot clock
Dictionary Entries Near shot clock
Cite this Entry
“Shot clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shot%20clock. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share