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

But LeBron James, one of the instigators during that stretch, missed three point-blank looks at the basket with the Lakers needing to be perfect to have a real chance at a comeback. —Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Late in the third, the Bedard line generated a series of Grade-A chances, including a Bertuzzi breakaway and Nazar’s shot from point-blank range, but Saros shut them all down. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025

Fans of the franchise were upset that their favorite Batman, portrayed by Kevin Conroy, was nonchalantly shot point-blank by Harley Quinn. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025

And so what if the first person who showed up to watch this experiment abruptly shot the only other member of the audience with a rocket launcher at point-blank range before turning his weapons toward the stage? —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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