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short game

American  

noun

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

“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

“It’s all part of the game — the long game, the short game, the medium game.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

"I was always pretty good at the long game, but I had to work a lot harder on my short game and I learned how to practise more effectively."

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

It seems as if he’s putting a lot of work into his short game.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2024

And I am quite sure that the ladies, as a rule, do not take the pains they should about their putting and the short game generally.

From Fifty Years of Golf by Hutchinson, Horace G.