Phrase guide

shot across the bow

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʃɒt əˌkɹɒs ðə ˈbaʊ/
  • General-American: /ˈʃɑt əˌkɹɔs ðə ˈbaʊ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊ

1

noun

Meaning 1

A warning that negative consequences will be faced if something is carried out or allowed to continue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: warning shot

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the naval tactic of firing a warning shot across the bow or front portion of a ship in order to force it to stop or alter its course.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: предупредителна мярка (predupreditelna mjarka) — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • Finnish: varoituslaukaus — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • German: Schuss vor den Bug — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skudd for baugen — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • Norwegian Bokmål: advarsel — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: advarsel — warning that negative consequences will be faced
  • Russian: предупреди́тельный вы́стрел (predupredítelʹnyj výstrel) — warning that negative consequences will be faced