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
Rowe, who visited the golf course after flying down from Washington Monday, said the would-be shooter didn't have a clear line of sight to take a shot at Trump and never fired any rounds.
—
Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024
With the ball at UCLA’s 39-yard line and Martin having built some momentum, Foster chose not to run another play rather than take a shot at the end zone.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
My big takeaway is… Chelsie did not take a shot at her biggest competition to win it all… Makensy!
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Gunman didn't have a line of sight on Trump or take a shot: Officials
On Sunday, Ryan Wesley Routh was allegedly lying in wait for nearly 12 hours near the Republican presidential nominee's West Palm Beach golf course before a Secret Service agent spotted him, according to a criminal complaint.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take a shot 
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Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024
With the ball at UCLA’s 39-yard line and Martin having built some momentum, Foster chose not to run another play rather than take a shot at the end zone.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
My big takeaway is… Chelsie did not take a shot at her biggest competition to win it all… Makensy!
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Gunman didn't have a line of sight on Trump or take a shot: Officials
On Sunday, Ryan Wesley Routh was allegedly lying in wait for nearly 12 hours near the Republican presidential nominee's West Palm Beach golf course before a Secret Service agent spotted him, according to a criminal complaint.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take a shot
Dictionary Entries Near 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 26 Nov. 2024.
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