shot heard round the world

Cultural  

1. A phrase from a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Emerson's words read, “Here once the embattled farmers stood / And fired the shot heard round the world.” In other words, the determination of the colonists at Concord led to the establishment of a new nation on Earth and encouraged worldwide movements toward democracy.

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Example Sentences

Though the king did not personally trigger the shot heard round the world, he nonetheless helped pave the path toward war.

From National Geographic • Jul. 3, 2023

The trip begins in Boston, Massachusetts, ironically the state in which the "shot heard round the world" took place that began the American Revolution against the British in 1775.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2022

The 114-page report, which also proposed a litany of remedies, began by acknowledging Prince’s video, which it called the equivalent of the shot heard round the world.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2022

In fact, you could call it the high-tech shot heard round the world.

From US News • Jun. 27, 2016

By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world.

From Graded Memory Selections by Hughes, Charles C.