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shot in the dark

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shot in the dark

Fig. a very general attempt; a wild guess. It was just a shot in the dark. I had no idea I was exactly correct. Come on, try it. Even a shot in the dark may win.

See also: dark, shot

shot in the dark

A wild, unsubstantiated guess; also, an attempt that has little chance for success. For example, It was a shot in the dark, but the engineers had a hunch that replacing the valve would make the system work , or You can try looking for your key on the beach, but I think it's a shot in the dark. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

See also: dark, shot

shot in the dark

n. a very general attempt; a wild guess. It was just a shot in the dark. I had no idea I was exactly correct.

See also: dark, shot

shot in the dark

Informal

1. A guess.

2. An attempt that has little chance of succeeding.

See also: dark, shot