What does outshooting mean?
Outshooting means shooting more successfully, frequently, or accurately than another person or team. It is especially common in reporting on football, hockey, basketball, and other competitive sports, where possession of the ball, the number of attempts, and their accuracy can all shape a team's overall performance. The word may suggest that a side is creating the better chances without necessarily taking the lead: a team can outshoot its opponent while still losing the match. Outside sports, it can more broadly mean to outperform someone in an activity framed as a contest of aim, though this use is less frequent. The prefix out- emphasizes comparison, while the gerund ending makes outshooting especially natural in phrases such as “outshooting the opposition.”
verbTo shoot more accurately, more successfully, or more often than another person, especially in a game or competition.
- To shoot more successfully or frequently than someone else, especially in a game or competition.
"The visitors spent the second half outshooting their opponents but struggled to convert their chances."
"The striker continued outshooting the goalkeeper but narrowly missed the target."
"By the end of the quarter, the team was outshooting its rivals from long range."
Outshooting is the statistical equivalent of winning the argument before anyone speaks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of outshooting
The form derives from the verb outshoot, formed from out- and the Old English root scēot, meaning “to shoot.” The base verb shoot developed in Middle English from various Old English forms associated with the same Germanic root. The related noun shot also comes from this root, while shooter was formed later within English.
How outshooting is actually used
This form is most common in sports reporting, where it describes a team or player generating more shots, often more accurate ones, than an opponent. It is usually attributive or used in the present participle.