under the gun

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

“ATF does not maintain a federal gun registry for firearms that fall under the Gun Control Act, and none of the records ATF maintains relating to those firearms may be used to create such a registry,” an ATF spokeswoman April Langwell said.

From Washington Times

“But the real estate market is incredibly hot right now for sellers. Our real estate agent suggested we put it on the market, and we got multiple offers way over our asking price. But then we were under the gun to try and find another house.”

From Washington Post

“We know infrastructure has been a priority . . . and we recognize that. But we also recognize that we are under the gun in our state, and we are bringing this to their attention.”

From Washington Post

“It sends a strong message to companies that shareholders want them to adopt disclosure and accountability policies for their political spending with corporate funds. Companies are really under the gun.”

From New York Times

"But we do understand that it is a significant, difficult decision for some of these organizations when they are put under the gun to try to manage their business operations during these times."

From Fox News