Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shoot first and ask questions later

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.46 in modern English

Syllables: shoot -first and ask ques-tion-s later
IPA

50

Scrabble Score

30

Letters

4

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To take hasty, immediate action with serious consequences, without first adequately investigating the situation.

American usage

verb

American usage

Example Sentences

"“These companies are shooting first and asking questions later,” Ms. [Robin] Feldman said. “The field is expanding much faster than the legal system can keep up with. Some of the decisions being made along the way end up biting the companies that have made those decisions.”"

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

shoots first and asks questions later (present, singular) shooting first and asking questions later (participle, present) shot first and asked questions later (participle, past) shot first and asked questions later (past)

Phrases

first blood guns blazing shoot from the hip

Frequently Paired Words

first blood guns blazing preemptive shoot from the hip

Questions

What does shoot first and ask questions later mean?: To take hasty, immediate action with serious consequences, without first adequately investigating the situation.

How to pronounce shoot first and ask questions later

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