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gunpoint

American

[guhn-point] / ˈgʌnˌpɔɪnt /

noun

the point or aim of a gun.

idioms

at gunpoint, under threat of being shot.

He carried out the robber's orders at gunpoint.

gunpoint British

/ ˈɡʌnˌpɔɪnt /

noun

the muzzle of a gun
being under or using the threat of being shot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gunpoint

First recorded in 1955–60; gun ¹ + point

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

At Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, a 16-year-old student was handcuffed at gunpoint after an AI-powered security system misidentified a crumpled bag of Doritos as a firearm.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025

Kim Kardashian West was back in the United States on Monday after being held at gunpoint during a robbery overnight in Paris, where she was attending Fashion Week.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

A United States Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint in Southern California over the weekend, when President Biden was in Los Angeles for a fund-raiser.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023