the.com/sharpshooter

Someone who shoots first and lets the hole count the rest.

means A marksman with exceptional accuracy, or more broadly, anyone whose skill at hitting targets—literal or figurative—is sharp enough to be feared.

from A straightforward 19th-century compound of 'sharp' (keen, precise) plus 'shooter,' first describing elite military riflemen prized for picking off targets at distance. American Civil War sharpshooter units cemented the word's modern sense, their long rifles and patient aim turning marksmanship into its own form of warfare—and the term later wandered into pool halls and boardrooms for anyone whose aim, in any sense, rarely missed.

origin
term predates sniper, from 1800s rifle corps
irony
rarely runs, mostly just aims
basketball slang
means three-pointers, not bullets
key trait
patience, not speed, wins accuracy
the.com · every word