at gunpoint

Idioms  

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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at gunpoint

American Fork police actions against YouTuber Benjamin Schneider, including an Airbnb raid at gunpoint, sparked local controversy and protests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Many of them have been allegedly pushed across the border at gunpoint, according to activists and lawyers who have challenged the measures in court.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

A Minneapolis pastor who protested ICE by chanting “We are not afraid” was detained at gunpoint by an agent who reportedly asked him: “Are you afraid now?”

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

Eight people have been found guilty after US reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint of millions of dollars' worth of jewellery in Paris nearly a decade ago.

From BBC ● May 23, 2025

It was as if someone had slipped into the Kremlin in 1950 and held Stalin at gunpoint, leaving the nation, accustomed to obeying a tyrant, utterly rudderless.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann