shot in the dark

NOUN

wild guess or try

Synonyms

WEAK

bet chance fall of the cards flip of the coin gamble guess leap in the dark long shot luck of the draw matter of chance outside chance risk risky thing speculation throw of the dice toss of the dice turn of the wheel wild guess

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It had all the hallmarks of a gamble, a shot in the dark.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

It’s just a giant shot in the dark, and instinct.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

It was a "shot in the dark," Wang said, given that the two scientists had never conducted a study in humans.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

Yet Toyota isn’t taking a shot in the dark.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

It was a shot in the dark, but he decided to try it.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright