Idiom
parting shot
Meaning
An insult or barbed comment issued as the speaker departs or the conversation comes to an end.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He left with a rude parting shot.”
“After they argued about the project, she walked out and delivered a sharp parting shot.”
“As he exited the courtroom, the defendant offered a final, bitter parting shot that left the judge speechless.”
Examples
simple
“He left with a rude parting shot.”
contextual
“After they argued about the project, she walked out and delivered a sharp parting shot.”
complex
“As he exited the courtroom, the defendant offered a final, bitter parting shot that left the judge speechless.”
Real-World Examples
“The plaintiff (determined to have a parting shot) called him “a d—d rascal.” “The Trump administration labeled Switzerland and Vietnam currency manipulators on Wednesday, in another parting shot at trading partners that could complicate matters for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's incoming team.” “Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a sharp parting shot at European allies on Friday, saying NATO risks "collective military irrelevance" unless they bear more of the burden and boost military spending.” “But his Friday parting shot underlined just how much resistance there is within the Fed to any further easing – let alone the deep rate cuts Trump is demanding and some of his appointees to the Fed appear willing to endorse.” Origin
Believed to be a variation of Parthian shot, referring to a military maneuver in which Parthian troops retreating on horseback turned back to face the enemy and shot while retreating.
Key words
Related idioms
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