long shot
noun
\ ˈlȯŋ-ˌshät
\
\
Definition of long shot
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
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
But Motz realizes a retailer of that magnitude is a long shot. — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, "Pieces of South Robert Street’s north end primed for redevelopment," 30 June 2019 Abel Cedillo, wearing new silks that Ganbat purchased just for the race, will ride the co-long shot at morning-line odds of 20-1. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "In Pacific Classic, Mongolian Stable seeks repeat of Breeders’ Cup magic," 14 Aug. 2019 Sanders also had to quickly woo the right mix of gamers to battle the tournament’s array of big-name streamers, wet-behind-the-ears up-and-comers, and any-given-Sunday long shots from around the globe. — Eric Adelson, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Fortnite’ is about to award its best players $30 million. What happens next is anyone’s guess," 26 July 2019 His first chance at parole — a long shot at best — will come in 2026. — Campbell Robertson, New York Times, "Would You Let the Man Who Killed Your Sister Out of Prison?," 19 July 2019 Jordan is an immensely popular figure in conservative grass-roots circles but a divisive figure outside of them, making his ascension to the speakership a long shot. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Rep. Jim Jordan, Freedom Caucus co-founder, is exploring run for House speaker," 13 Apr. 2018 Jokiharju's long shot is saved by Gauthier; Newkirk gets close to the goalie and there is a pileup. — Dylan Bumbarger, OregonLive.com, "Winterhawks 4, Cougars 3," 7 Mar. 2018 That there actually is, out there, a combination of substance and geometry which will yield useful amounts of electricity is, perhaps, a long shot. — The Economist, "How to wring power from the night air," 1 Aug. 2019 Several of the long shot candidates asked voters to see their arguments against raw populism in the context of electoral strategy. — Alexander Burns, New York Times, "Sanders and Warren Battle Accusations of ‘Fairy Tale’ Promises as Intraparty Rift Flares," 30 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'long shot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for long shot
long shot
noun
English Language Learners Definition of long shot
: an attempt or effort that is not likely to be successful
chiefly US
: a person or thing that is not likely to win something (such as a contest or race)
See the full definition for long shot in the English Language Learners Dictionary