you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

proverb

To make no attempt to do something guarantees failure, so you should always try.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. To make no attempt to do something guarantees failure, so you should always try.

Origin

True origin unknown, but was most likely popularized by Wayne Gretzky.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20miss%20100%25%20of%20the%20shots%20you%20don't%20take

MLA

“you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20miss%20100%25%20of%20the%20shots%20you%20don't%20take. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you miss 100% of the shots you don't take,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20miss%20100%25%20of%20the%20shots%20you%20don't%20take.

Source: you miss 100% of the shots you don't take on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.