shot heard round the world

Cultural  

1. A phrase from a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Emerson's words read, “Here once the embattled farmers stood / And fired the shot heard round the world.” In other words, the determination of the colonists at Concord led to the establishment of a new nation on Earth and encouraged worldwide movements toward democracy.

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Example Sentences

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shot heard round the world

Though the king did not personally trigger the shot heard round the world, he nonetheless helped pave the path toward war.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 3, 2023

In fact, you could call it the high-tech shot heard round the world.

From US News ● Jun. 27, 2016

While Thomson’s hit became known as the shot heard round the world, the real big shots that year were the Yankees, who won the World Series in six games.

From New York Times ● Oct. 2, 2012

Open, when amateur Francis Ouimet beat Brit titans Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff, "the shot heard round the world."

From Golf Digest ● Oct. 13, 2010

But the reply of Huxley was a shot heard round the world, and for the most part the echo was passed along by the enemy.

From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 12 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Scientists by Hubbard, Elbert