at gunpoint

1. Also, at knifepoint. Under coercion, as in I'm going to hold him at gunpoint for that raise he promised me last year. Both these phrases were at first used literally and later also figuratively. [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

She claims that she’s used the N-word only once to describe an incident that took place in 1986, when she allegedly was held at gunpoint by a Black man.

From Salon

But of course it’s not, especially when citizens and legal residents are being stopped at gunpoint and dragged from their cars.

From Salon

As a result, a number of American citizens found themselves physically assaulted and held at gunpoint until they could produce documentation.

From Slate

"We were held at gunpoint by a guy who entered the country illegally on a boat. I am just one example," he adds.

From BBC

On 28 August, her husband and brother-in-law kidnapped the boy at gunpoint, tortured him and threw his battered body into a river.

From BBC