1 B1 neutral
To move or extend outward suddenly and rapidly
"Her hand shot out and grabbed the child before he could fall."
shoot out
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To emerge suddenly and rapidly from somewhere, or to extend outward quickly
In plain English
To come out very fast, like water from a pipe or a hand reaching out
What does "shoot out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
For liquid, light, or gas to emerge forcefully and quickly from a confined space
"Water shot out of the broken pipe and flooded the corridor within minutes."
3 B2 neutral
To destroy a specific part of something by shooting, or to put out (a light) by shooting it
"The gunfighter shot out the saloon lantern and fled into the darkness."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shoot in an outward direction — relatively transparent
Actually means
To come out very fast, like water from a pipe or a hand reaching out
Usage tip
Often used to describe physical things moving outward rapidly: a hand, water, light, or a vehicle. Also used as a noun: 'a shootout' (gunfight or penalty competition). The noun form is written as one word.
Words that pair with "shoot out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
hand water flame light car tongue
How to conjugate "shoot out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shoot out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shoots out
he/she/it
Past simple
shooted out
yesterday
Past participle
shooted out
have + pp
-ing form
shooting out
continuous
Hear "shoot out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shoot out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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