Dictionary.com

under the gun

Save This Word!
See synonyms for under the gun on Thesaurus.com

Under pressure to solve a problem or meet a deadline, as in The reporter was under the gun for that article on taxes. This idiom alludes to a gun being pointed at a person to force him or her to act. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby under the gun

undertaking, undertenant, under the aegis of, under the circumstances, under-the-counter, under the gun, under the hammer, under the impression, under the influence, under the knife, under the sun
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Words related to under the gun

at gunpoint, at knifepoint, pressured, under pressure
FEEDBACK