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put a gun to someone's head. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
put a gun to someone's head, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
put a gun to someone's head in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Verb
put a gun to someone's head (third-person singular simple present puts a gun to someone's head, present participle putting a gun to someone's head, simple past and past participle put a gun to someone's head)
- (idiomatic) To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.
1988 February 28, “The Region: D'Amato Strays, Willfully, From New York Party Line”, in New York Times, retrieved 27 November 2018:Richard Rosenbaum had deferred to Mr. D'Amato in leading the Dole effort in the state, but Mr. D'Amato delayed organizing it until, as Westchester County legislator Tim Carey put it, "Dole put a gun to his head."
2004 September 23, Carol D. Leonnig, “Tobacco Industry Admits Mistakes”, in Washington Post, retrieved 27 November 2018:"[T]o say the industry hasn't changed is to ignore reality," Yerrid said. "Now, they changed because we put a gun to their head, not because they're nice people and wanted to change."
2007 December 21, Rebecca Smith, “Gordon Brown 'to force GPs to work evenings'”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 27 November 2018:"They have effectively put a gun to our head and said if we don't accept their proposal they will impose a more Draconian contract."