staring down the barrel of a gun

A form of stare down the barrel of a gun — To face a serious, dangerous, or very unpleasant situation that feels imminent or unavoidable.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of stare down the barrel of a gun
Cite this entry
APA

staring down the barrel of a gun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staring%20down%20the%20barrel%20of%20a%20gun

MLA

“staring down the barrel of a gun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staring%20down%20the%20barrel%20of%20a%20gun. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “staring down the barrel of a gun,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staring%20down%20the%20barrel%20of%20a%20gun.

Source: staring down the barrel of a gun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.