take a shot in the dark

verb

To try or guess at something without having any knowledge about the subject.

“I didn't study for the test and took a shot in the dark.”

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Meanings

verbtake a shot in the dark (third-person singular simple present takes a shot in the dark, present participle taking a shot in the dark, simple past took a shot in the dark, past participle taken a shot in the dark)

present singular third person takes a shot in the dark · participle present taking a shot in the dark · past took a shot in the dark · participle past taken a shot in the dark

  1. idiomaticTo try or guess at something without having any knowledge about the subject.

    I didn't study for the test and took a shot in the dark.

Cite this entry
APA

take a shot in the dark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20shot%20in%20the%20dark

MLA

“take a shot in the dark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20shot%20in%20the%20dark. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a shot in the dark,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20shot%20in%20the%20dark.

Source: take a shot in the dark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.