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
Phrases
by a long shot
: by a great deal

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 What isn't so normal is the proportion of them related to warmer temperatures or the degree to which the new records shatter previous records by a long shot. USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Early on, Mullen’s quest was treated as a long shot, even something of an oddity — a sincere obsession that would harmlessly go nowhere. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 Bolivians deeply resented the idea of the U.S. interfering in their elections, and Morales, until then a long shot, surged in the polls and almost won. Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024 The long shot bid to unseat board president Nate Miley seems to have come up short. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Although many experts regard this as a long shot now, there's evidence that humanity is at long last making progress. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 President Joe Biden is competing on that ballot along with author Marianne Williamson and various other long shot candidates seeking the state's 36 Democratic delegates. Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2024 There are a few long shots to keep an eye on, including Jalen Brunson. Pat Graham, The Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2024 Pascucci, 38, already faces a long shot campaign to fill the seat vacated by the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'long shot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of long shot was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near long shot

Cite this Entry

“Long shot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20shot. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

long shot

noun
1
: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful
2
: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning

More from Merriam-Webster on long shot

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