short game
Americannoun
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the aspect of golf considered in relation to the ability of a player to hit medium or short shots, as chip shots, pitch shots, and putts, with accuracy.
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a card game in which not all cards in the pack are dealt before play.
Etymology
Origin of short game
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
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.
Open title for the career Grand Slam, had to rely heavily on his short game to salvage a 72.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“You need to play a long game, not this short game that has been so detrimental,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
“Riviera really suits my game. Not the best putting, but I gave myself a lot of looks and my short game made up for some misses.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Having said that, the champion almost always knits together a blend of experience, recent form, distance off the tee and a crisp short game.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
If there were an element of chance in this short game it was that of the uncertainty of life, not of Durade's chance to win.
From The U. P. Trail by Grey, Zane
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.
