shoot-'em-up

American  

[shoot-uhm-uhp] / ˈʃɒɒt əmˌʌp /

noun

Informal.

1. a motion-picture or television program that emphasizes gunplay, action, and often violence.

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shoot-'em-up British  

noun

1. a type of computer game, the object of which is to shoot as many enemies, targets, etc, as possible

2. a fast-moving film involving many gunfights, battles, etc

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Etymology

Origin of shoot-'em-up

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Maybe you're angry for some *waves hands* reason, and need to blow off steam with some shoot-'em-up action or dissociate from your everyday reality.

From Salon

Only about a third of the storytelling in “Lioness” is shoot-'em-up action, though.

From Salon

That shoot-'em-up – a favorite of both mine and Samuel L. Jackson — introduces Davis as a devoted mother, community pillar and schoolteacher named Samantha Caine.

From Salon

It's a brawny tale attempting to imbue its shoot-'em-up action with brains and, if not a soul, then an intriguing level of artificial intelligence.

From Salon

Most of the third season premiere manifests as a shoot-'em-up interspersed with elements recognizable to anyone who has watched "The Matrix," "Blade Runner," "Johnny Mnenomic," and other cyberpunk flicks.

From Salon