Ride shotgun
phrase
To sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
When we drive to the coast, Alice always wants to ride shotgun.

Often appears as...
- call shotgun
- ride shotgun with
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
phrase
To accompany or oversee someone or something to ensure its protection.
I was assigned to ride shotgun with the new employee during his first week.

Often appears as...
- ride shotgun on
- ride shotgun over
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
phrase
To sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
When we drive to the coast, Alice always wants to ride shotgun.

Often appears as...
- call shotgun
- ride shotgun with
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
phrase
To accompany or oversee someone or something to ensure its protection.
I was assigned to ride shotgun with the new employee during his first week.

Often appears as...
- ride shotgun on
- ride shotgun over
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2

Cultural Origin
Originates from the Old West where an armed guard sat beside the driver.

Just like in the Westerns, he always rides shotgun when we go on road trips.
Claiming the Seat
People often 'call shotgun' to claim the front passenger seat before a journey.

You can't ride shotgun this time; I called it first!
Informal Setting
Used in casual conversations, not formal ones.

At the family outing, my cousin wanted to ride shotgun to chat with my uncle driving.
Cultural Origin
Originates from the Old West where an armed guard sat beside the driver.

Just like in the Westerns, he always rides shotgun when we go on road trips.
Claiming the Seat
People often 'call shotgun' to claim the front passenger seat before a journey.

You can't ride shotgun this time; I called it first!
Informal Setting
Used in casual conversations, not formal ones.

At the family outing, my cousin wanted to ride shotgun to chat with my uncle driving.
Cultural Origin
Originates from the Old West where an armed guard sat beside the driver.

Just like in the Westerns, he always rides shotgun when we go on road trips.
Claiming the Seat
People often 'call shotgun' to claim the front passenger seat before a journey.

You can't ride shotgun this time; I called it first!
Informal Setting
Used in casual conversations, not formal ones.

At the family outing, my cousin wanted to ride shotgun to chat with my uncle driving.
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