How to Use on-target in a Sentence

on-target

1 of 2 adjective
  • Can rip shots or thread the needle with on-target touch passes.
    — Kyle Woodlief, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023
  • Drones and buoy cameras recorded live views of the on-target splashdown.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2026
  • Dart’s on-target throw to Wells was a short completion that sprung a nice gain.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
  • The hubbub gives credence to the loudest — and most on-target?
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
  • The Chiefs got pressure but no sack of Jones, who was on-target for most of the night.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Australia got the win, even as it was outmatched in on-target shots by a 7-to-4 margin.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 June 2026
  • Then, later in the quarter, Maye threw an on-target pass of 40 yards while on the run, though it was dropped.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024
  • Djokovic’s shots were not quite on-target early and, but for a brief interlude in the second set, his usual verve was not present.
    — Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Chicago, meanwhile, took 17 shots, putting seven on-target.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
  • With a new player like Goodson turning back to find a football, the pass needs to be perfectly on-target.
    — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Jan. 2024
  • Happ had plenty of time to get under the ball and deliver an on-target throw for an inning-ending double play to keep the game tied.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • They were gashed through the air by an opposing quarterback for whom on-target passes are a career rarity.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
  • His passes are always crisp and on-target, even if his vision and his highlight-reel passes are a bit less polished than some others in the class.
    — Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Umpteen chances went begging long before Rovers managed to make their first and only on-target effort of the afternoon count.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
  • The return maneuver culminated in an on-target vertical landing a few miles south of the launch pad.
    — Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 Aug. 2023
  • After the launch, the booster settled onto the ship for a smoky but on-target touchdown less than 10 minutes after liftoff.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
  • On its debut flight, the new rocket delivered a commercial lunar lander to an on-target orbit.
    — Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 23 July 2024
  • The throw from Carpenter to Haase wasn't close, but an on-target throw to the catcher would have gotten him at the plate easily.
    — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 2 July 2023
  • Moments later, the cameras captured an on-target splashdown followed by what appeared to be an explosion.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
  • I’’ll say up front that the famous Cracker Barrel buttermilk biscuits were still on-target.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • By making the system-wide prompt publicly available, the public can help ascertain whether the instructions are on-target or off-target.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • The same cannot be said, however, for DeMario Douglas, who has caught every on-target pass he’s seen this summer.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Reigniting its engines for two braking burns, the booster settled onto the ship for a smoky but on-target touchdown less than 10 minutes after liftoff.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Personalization to the person seeking mental health insights is quick and usually on-target.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Its first stage, solid rocket boosters, and upper stage performed as expected for the first phase of the flight, delivering eight small satellites into an on-target orbit.
    — Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2024
  • His percentages of on-target and bad throws, as rated by Football Reference, are better than his career averages.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
  • And part of it is paying it forward, appreciating how on-time, on-target passes have benefited him over these six seasons, with a goal of easing the scoring of teammates.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024
  • Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was on-target again by voting for chart-topping vocal group Pentatonix.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 11 May 2023
  • Once through the zone of peak heating, the Starship flew itself to an on-target splashdown in the Indian Ocean looking none the worse for its re-entry plunge from space.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 22 May 2026
  • Nearing the ground, the BE-3 engine re-ignited, landing legs deployed and the rocket settled to an on-target touchdown on a concrete pad near the launch gantry.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025

on target

2 of 2 phrase
  • Many are still holding a company that was on target to sell two years ago.
    — Thomas Thayyil Thomas, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Williams’ fastball, into a tight window, was on time and on target.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In total, the team in yellow took 20 shots, eight of which were on target.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
  • Panama had more possession after the goal but got just one shot on target in that time.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Only one of the attempts was on target — a header that was corralled in front of goal.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
  • Plenty of the ball, xG more than twice that of their opponents but no shots on target.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Even in that match, Opta didn’t credit Paraguay with a shot on target.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • Their opponents have racked up 35 shots in two matches but had just eight on target.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Each team had four shots on target, and Bay had 52% possession.
    — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Palace have conceded 34 shots, of which 14 have been on target.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And France, owners of the best attack in the tournament, had yet to have a shot on target.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Newcastle, meanwhile, have conjured four shots on target in their last two games and scored with every one of them.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Ivory Coast has penetrated the box a bit more, but both sides have just one shot and zero on target.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
  • The Canada keeper made eight saves as León had 10 shots on target.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • There were more fouls and yellow cards handed out than shots on target, but so far the pacing has favored Spain.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • Orlando had just one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2026
  • France held a 21-4 advantage in shots on goal and 8-1 edge in shots on target for the game.
    — Kyle Hightower, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
  • South Korea did not have a shot on target for 86 minutes and could have equalised with their first effort on goal.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 July 2026
  • But of 17 total shots and eight shots on target this World Cup, only one has found the back of the net.
    — Alex Connor, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • His execution was not always on target (put some passes into feet or icings and didn’t have the muscle to clear the zone at times).
    — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Even so, to not have a single shot on target in a World Cup final is pretty disappointing to say the least.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Mahomes is on target to start the season despite being just nine months removed from the ACL tear.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Newcastle turned it into a shot on target, which Muharemovic and Trafford combined to stop.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Orlando had 18 shots, six on target, and hit the goal frame twice, but could not match the visitors’ efficiency.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The quantity of shots allowed is a major reason, with 44 in total, 15 of which have been on target.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Unai Simón didn't have to make a save while keeping his fourth consecutive clean sheet, since Austria failed to get a shot on target.
    — ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Sunderland are right behind Arsenal for shots on target allowed with just three out of a total of 21.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • When the ball was on target, not only was it was caught, but receivers produced nearly 60 percent of Iowa’s pass yards after the catch.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Between Mbeumo’s goal and Sesko’s header to make it 2-1, United did not have a shot on target.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Their previously clinical attack, with four goals scored from four shots on target across the preceding two league games, became toothless.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on-target.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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