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Synonyms

like a shot

Idioms  
  1. Very rapidly, as in When they asked for volunteers, he raised his hand like a shot. This expression alludes to the rapidity of gunfire. [Colloquial; late 1800s]


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.

See Examples For:

I kind of knew that, but when she had that reaction, which was not feigned at all, that was like a shot of advice from the heart.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 26, 2026

Asking a general-use chatbot for health help used to seem like a shot in the dark—just two years ago, a study found that ChatGPT could diagnose only 2 in 10 pediatric cases correctly.

From Slate Jan. 21, 2026

Both emerged like a shot of adrenaline after halftime.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 17, 2025

“Today, former President Trump’s attorneys finished their cross-examination of Stormy Daniels, and they accused her of lying and hawking merchandise for personal gain. Trump was like, ‘This also feels like a shot at me, too.’”

From New York Times May 10, 2024

The elevator dropped me like a shot and I went out and walked along the street.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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