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knifepoint

American  
[nahyf-point] / ˈnaɪfˌpɔɪnt /

noun

  1. the sharp tip of a knife.

idioms

  1. at knifepoint, under threat of being cut or stabbed with a knife.

    He was robbed at knifepoint.

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.

It’s not truly empathy if it’s procured at knifepoint, from the depleted.

From Slate • Aug. 24, 2021

Ed Smart said Wednesday that he's heard reports that Barzee still believes in the teachings of David Brian Mitchell, the street preacher who took the teenage Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom at knifepoint in 2002.

From Fox News • Sep. 19, 2018

Villanelle comes home, and the two have a standoff, mirroring an earlier scene where Villanelle breaks into Eve’s home to “have dinner” with her at knifepoint.

From The Verge • May 29, 2018

David Huff of Midwest City, Oklahoma, saved a 2-year-old girl being held at knifepoint after negotiations with her captor deteriorated.

From Time • May 16, 2016

He felt in the air with the knifepoint.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.