shooting

1 of 2

noun

shoot·​ing ˈshü-tiŋ How to pronounce shooting (audio)
plural shootings
Synonyms of shootingnext
1
: the act of shooting a gun
But shooting is many a man's choice, especially up at the great hunting clubs like Choctaw Bluff …—Harriet de Rosišre
2
: an instance of gun violence directed toward a person or group of people
a drive-by shooting
mass shootings
… a clutch of outspoken student activists flipped the national script on school shootings in America.—Dahlia Lithwick
3
: the act of photographing or filming someone or something
A large fan specially designed to create the effect of wind during shooting.—Ira Konigsberg
That part of filmmaking that comes immediately after the shooting is completed …—Ira Konigsberg

shooting

2 of 2

present participle of shoot entry 1

Examples of shooting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Days after what police say was a hate-motivated shooting outside a gay bar in Tucson, Arizona, a fuller picture of the gunman is coming to light. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026 Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a shooting outside a laundromat on the edge of Carmichael that left a man wounded late Wednesday. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Three civilians and three Minneapolis police officers were injured in the shooting, police said. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 Federal prosecutors in Minnesota had been preparing to charge Castro with deprivation of rights under color of law for the shooting of Sosa-Celis, according to several people familiar with the case. — Megan Rose, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shooting

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shooting was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing shooting

Rhymes for shooting

See All Rhymes for shooting

Browse Nearby Words

shoother
shooting
shooting board
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shooting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shooting. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

shooting

adjective
shoot·​ing
: characterized by sudden sharp piercing sensations
shooting pains

More from Merriam-Webster on shooting

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shooting

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