point-blank

adjective

ˈpȯint-ˈblaŋk 

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

Goalkeeper Harlow Berger made a sliding, point-blank save in the box, but the rebound went right to a Cougar, who for a split-second had the entire net to shoot at. —Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025

Shooting point-blank at your own brothers. —Amindeh Blaise Atabong, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025

Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade hit the crossbar from point-blank range and Dango Ouattara put a free header wide. —Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for point-blank

• gangplank
• nonbank
• outflank
• sandbank
• antitank
• interbank
• mountebank
• riverbank
• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank

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