shotgun debugging
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A poorly-directed form of debugging, making various experimental changes to the source code in the hope that one of them will eventually fix the problem.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “shotgun debugging” mean?
A poorly-directed form of debugging, making various experimental changes to the source code in the hope that one of them will eventually fix the problem.
Is “shotgun debugging” formal or informal?
shotgun debugging is generally slang.