moonshot

American  

[moon-shot] / ˈmunˌʃɒt /

Or moon shot

noun

1. the act or procedure of launching a rocket or spacecraft to the moon.

2. a very challenging and innovative project or undertaking.

   Technology companies are investing in moonshots that address the world’s greatest problems.

3. Baseball. a high-velocity home run in which the ball reaches an extraordinary height.

   What could be more exciting than a bases-clearing moonshot over the right field wall in the bottom of the eleventh inning?

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adjective

1. relating to or noting a very challenging and innovative project or undertaking.

   His department takes moonshot ideas and brings them to reality.

moonshot British  

/ ˈmuːnˌʃɒt /

noun

1. the launching of a spacecraft, rocket, etc, to the moon

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Etymology

Origin of moonshot

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50 moonshot for def. 1; moon + shot ¹; the baseball sense, also capitalized as Moon shot, was named after Wallace Wade “Wally” Moon (1930–2018), U.S. baseball player, whose home run helped the Dodgers win the 1959 pennant

Example Sentences

Then again, it is probably better to be an AI moonshot than a failing shoe company in 2026.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

A couple of derivatives-market experts told MarketWatch that, given the heavy volume, these contracts were likely being used to help manage risk, rather than to play for a moonshot payoff.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

But just as the technology seemed poised to move from moonshot to mainstream, customer complaints started coming in.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire as investors bought into the moonshot AI vision in a remarkably smooth IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

“What’s needed to create a city on Mars? Well, one thing’s for sure: a lot of money,” Elon Musk said in 2015 at the launch event for his latest moonshot.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026