at gunpoint

(redirected from at gun point)

at gunpoint

1. Literally, in a position of having a gun pointed at one, as in an armed robbery. The robber held the security guard at gunpoint.
2. By extension, in a position of being held under extreme pressure or aggressively coerced. Don't try to hold me at gunpoint—I'll make a decision when I'm good and ready!

at gunpoint

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]

at gunpoint

Under or as if under the threat of being shot.
References in periodicals archive ?
KHANEWAL -- Dacoits looted cash and other valuables from a trader's house at gun point in Iqbal town here on Saturday.
House looted
Eight armed men stormed into the farm house of Masood Akhtar in Mohri Jog and held two of the employees at gun point, tying them with rope later on.
Cattle farm, electronics shop looted
The police on Wednesday said that in first incident Tausef ur Rehman and his colleague were deprived of Rs 40000 and 2 mobile phones by four armed robbers at gun point near village Ahmalpur, in the limits of the Kotli Said Ameer police station, in second hit two armed robbers snatched Rs 10000, 550 Saudi Riyals and two mobile phones from Hafiz Waqar Hameed and his brother Zubair at gun point near Brigadier Colony, in the limits of the Cantt police station.
10 drug peddlers arrested
Gujrat -- Five accused fired upon police van, stopped them and then got freed their accomplice from police at gun point and on way they gunned down their own accomplice in Gujrat.
Suspects gun down their accomplice after freeing him from Police
Islamabad -- Islamabad Rural Zone police have arrested seven persons during the last one month for their involvment in snatching motorbikes at gun point and recovered several bikes from them.
Seven bike snatchers, four dacoits held
The suspects, he said, pushed him into the house at gun point after allegedly requesting for water to cool the overheating Mercedes Benz car they were driving.
Btv cameraman victim of hijacking
The resident of the B Block of Peoples Colony police station Mohammad Shahzad s/o Subhan Ali told the police that three days ago some unknown people came in Vigo vehicle wearing plain clothes who trespassed his house and tortured FIA SI Jamshaid Khan who was staying in his house and kidnapped him at gun point. They also took with them his personal Lap Top and three mobile phones.
Unknown persons kidnap FIA SI Jamshaid Khan
Summary: Shopian(Jammu and Kashmir)[India]Mar 12(ANI): Unknown number of gunmen on Monday robbed a bank manager at gun point in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian.
Gunmen rob a J-K bank manager
Ponciano Zafra, city police chief, said Edmar Trinidad and Albert Aguilar, attempted to rob at gun point a police team, which included female police officers, at 11:00 p.m.
Patrol cops shot dead 2 suspects who intend to rob them in Ecija
They held the inmates hostage at gun point and in the meantime her father Muhammad Saeed resisted against the robbers.
Man gunned down in robbery incident
Sharjah Police say they have arrested two men who allegedly robbed petrol stations at gun point in various parts of the emirate.
Police arrest petrol station robbery suspects
Robber Neil Brennan, 21, absconded after the ``well organised'' escape, in which his guards were held at gun point by two menDetective Chief Inspector Sam Hawarth admitted transporting prisoners in taxis was something he was not aware of and he expected prison bosses to review how they carry convicts.
Prisoner flees during taxi ride
"I have been taken out of a car at gun point on two occasions--when I wasn't doing anything wrong," remembers Bullock.
FBI: the changing face of today's FBI: more agile multifaceted, expanding its commitment to diversity hiring
Two Huddersfield men have appeared before Bradford magistrates accused of robbing three youths at gun point.
Robbery charges
THREE masked men rammed a terrified driver's car last night and hijacked the top-of-the-range vehicle at gun point.
Hijackers steal car
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