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Synonyms

sniper

British  
/ ˈsnaɪpə /

noun

  1. a rifleman who fires from a concealed place, esp a military marksman who fires from cover usually at long ranges at individual enemy soldiers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Idaho prosecutors did charge the sniper, and a federal appeals court allowed the case to proceed, but a newly elected prosecutor in Idaho instead chose to drop the charges.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Attorney General Janet Reno decided not to pursue charges, but a county prosecutor in the state did, charging the sniper with involuntary manslaughter.

From Slate • Jan. 7, 2026

And then it’s also, ‘Hey, you want to play us man-to-man, one-on-one, I’m enough of a sniper as a passer to make you pay for it.’

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

However, no individual sniper was ever held accountable, with all convictions directed toward the commanders in charge.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

“That sniper knew there was no point shooting old bones like mine,” Dapir says.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.