Meanings
prepositional phrase
- informalsuddenly; without delay or hesitation.
I went over the fence like a shot, and ran like one o'clock for the trap, cussing and swearing as I went.
1899, H. G. Wells, Mr. Brisher's Treasure
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbwithout delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Icelandic eins og skot
- eins og skotTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
like a shot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20shot
MLA
“like a shot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20shot. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “like a shot,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20shot.
Source: like a shot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.