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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Doyle was then executed, at point-blank range. Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 The third of them featured a point-blank shot by Vinnie Hinostroza, and the hard rebound off Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins’ leg pad acted like an outlet pass. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025 Casual killings at point-blank range, vicious motorcycle jackings, tossing someone off a building, assassinating the actual Mark Cuban (playing himself) — this, in the movie, is what the good guys do. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for point-blank

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Point-blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point-blank. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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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