hold a gun to someone's head

A form of put a gun to someone's head — To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.

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Meanings

verbhold a gun to someone's head (third-person singular simple present holds a gun to someone's head, present participle holding a gun to someone's head, simple past and past participle held a gun to someone's head)

present singular third person holds a gun to someone's head · participle present holding a gun to someone's head · participle past held a gun to someone's head · past held a gun to someone's head

  1. alternativeAlternative form of put a gun to someone's head.
Cite this entry
APA

hold a gun to someone's head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20a%20gun%20to%20someone's%20head

MLA

“hold a gun to someone's head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20a%20gun%20to%20someone's%20head. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold a gun to someone's head,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20a%20gun%20to%20someone's%20head.

Source: hold a gun to someone's head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.