shootout

American  

[shoot-out] / ˈʃutˌaʊt /

noun

1. a gunfight that must end in defeat for one side or the other, as between gunfighters in the Old West, criminal groups, or law-enforcement officers and criminals.

2. Slang. any military conflict or skirmish.

3. Slang. a high-scoring or intensely played game or tournament, as of basketball or ice hockey.

4. Soccer. a method of breaking a tie score at the end of overtime in which five players from each team alternate shooting at the opponent's goal, starting from a spot 35 yards (39 meters) from the goal line, in an attempt to kick the ball past the rival goalkeeper in under five seconds.

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Etymology

Origin of shootout

1945–50; noun use of verb phrase shoot ( it ) out to settle a dispute with firearms

Example Sentences

Italy has won the World Cup four times, but it missed out on the tournament for a third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Now the Kings come home, where they won six of their final seven regular-season games, the only loss coming in a shootout.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Nathan Ferdinands, a 23-year-old Australian student, said he had heard about the shootout but also ultimately decided to carry on with his visit.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Now the two sides are in a veritable shootout, marked by dueling proxy statements, accusations of broken confidentiality agreements and at least seven advisory firms billing hours on both sides of the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

And, like a grizzled extra scurrying out of the bar just before the climactic final shootout in a grade B Hollywood Western, Bud dropped a dollar onto the table and hurriedly split.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• bout