shootout
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a way to decide the winner of a game that is tied, where players take turns trying to score goals.
a tie-breaking procedure in sports, such as football or ice hockey, where a series of individual penalty shots determines the winner.
Simple“The football match was so close that it had to be decided by a shootout.”
In context“After a scoreless period of extra time, the championship was ultimately decided by a dramatic penalty shootout that lasted ten rounds.”
Synonymspenalty shootouttie breaker - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a fight using guns between two groups of people, like the police and criminals.
a decisive battle or confrontation involving an exchange of gunfire between opposing individuals or groups.
Simple“The movie ended with a tense shootout between the hero and the villains.”
In context“The historical account details a violent shootout at the border, which eventually led to a significant change in local law enforcement tactics.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
a game where both teams score many points or goals.
a match or competition characterized by high scoring from both participants, often implying a lack of defensive focus.
Simple“The basketball game turned into a shootout, with both teams scoring over 120 points.”
In context“What began as a tactical defensive struggle quickly devolved into an offensive shootout, much to the delight of the neutral spectators.”
Synonymshigh scoring game - 04 C2 Proficiency
a type of poker game where you must be the last player at your table to move to the next round.
a multi-table poker tournament format where players must win their individual table to progress to the subsequent stage.
Simple“He won his first table in the shootout and moved on to the semi-finals.”
In context“The shootout format requires a different strategic approach than standard tournaments, as players cannot simply wait for others to be eliminated at different tables.”
“Mabil, who was brought on for extra-time against Egypt and scored a penalty in the shootout, said Popovic has done an “amazing” job and would like to see him continue.”
“There were plenty more games with more goals but none could match the drama of the penalty shootout in this last-32 tie.”
Deverbal from shoot out.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.