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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of shoot-'em-up

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Here, guests will first build their own spaceship, and then have it scanned into the game for a cooperative shoot-’em-up.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

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 • Dec. 7, 2024

“I guess I’m happier they are playing chess rather than some shoot-’em-up game.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2023

The debate over whether or not “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie has been ongoing since the movie first came out in July 1988 with plenty of holiday allusions to contrast with the shoot-’em-up heroics.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2021

In her case, she was able to show that young people playing off-the-shelf, shoot-’em-up video games showed an improved capacity to sustain attention, even after the game was over.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel