1
a
: marked by no appreciable drop below initial horizontal line of flight
b
: so close to a target that a missile fired will travel in a straight line to the mark
2
: direct, blunt
a point-blank refusal
point-blank adverb

Examples of point-blank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Davis continued to lose his battles with Domantas Sabonis, an issue exacerbated as Davis missed a ton of point-blank shots. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 De La Salle missed a point-blank shot at the rim with around 35 seconds remaining to give Modesto the possession. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The deputy shot the stun gun twice at Cure and hit him with a baton before shooting him with a gun at point-blank range. Char Adams, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 That’s when the man, who had asked for the phone number of the complex’s manager, forced his way inside — shooting Perez at point-blank range. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 The Golden Knights had several point-blank opportunities to extend the lead, but Martin was on top of his game with 12 saves in the period. Mark Anderson, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 There was a stretch, in that second-half comeback against Cal, where Bronny James missed two free throws, USC got a stop, then Kobe Johnson missed quite literally a point-blank uncontested layup, then USC got another stop, and then Johnson missed two free throws. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2024 One way to look at long range for hunting purposes is to think in terms of your maximum point-blank range (MPBR). Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024 The 6-foot-3 junior laid in a basket from point-blank range to put the Lions up 59-56 with under 40 seconds left in the game. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'point-blank.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of point-blank was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near point-blank

Cite this Entry

“Point-blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point-blank. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

point-blank

adjective
ˈpȯint-ˈblaŋk
1
: aimed at a target from a very short distance away
fired from point-blank range
2
: blunt entry 1 sense 3, direct
a point-blank refusal
point-blank adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on point-blank

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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