at gunpoint

phrase

: under a threat of death by being shot

Examples of at gunpoint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Across America, rogue cops have used Flock data to stalk ex-wives and girlfriends, held families at gunpoint after faulty readings, and kept one woman in jail for 13 days before admitting that the cameras had led them astray. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 The backlash intensified after reports of immigration authorities accessing Flock data, officers abusing the network to stalk women, and misreads that led to innocent people held at gunpoint. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Video from a surveillance camera shows Lopez walk up, order him out of a parked car at gunpoint, and tell Cantu to come with him. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 Once inside, Ibarra and his friends terrorized the woman and an unidentified person, holding them at gunpoint and knifepoint, per the report. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at gunpoint

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at gunpoint was in 1907

Rhymes for at gunpoint

See All Rhymes for at gunpoint

Browse Nearby Words

at full/top speed
at gunpoint
ath
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At gunpoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20gunpoint. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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