under the gun
Facing urgent pressure
Under the gun means facing intense pressure, especially from a deadline or urgent demand: We're under the gun to finish by Friday.
The phrase evokes being held at gunpoint—forced to act with no room for delay.
In poker, under the gun describes the player who must act first after the blinds, a disadvantageous position.
- last-minuteJust before deadline
- duressCoercion through threats
- high pressureStrong force per area
- tight spotDifficult position, few options
- deadlineTime limit for completion
down to the wire · countdown · beat the clock · race against time · haste · rush · risk · jeopardy · poker · worry · tension · strain · immediacy · nervousness · time crunch · firing line · obligation · panic
- pokerblinds, all-in, all in, call, seven-card stud
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- time pressurerush, against the clock, rushed, clock is ticking, urgency
- overwhelmedstressed, overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, burned out
under the gunrelaxed
Free of stress
at ease · carefree · stress-free · laid-back · comfortable
under the gununhurried
Taking one's time
at leisure · taking one's time · leisurely · ahead of schedule · free and easy
under the gunin control
Managing with authority
in the driver's seat · secure · safe · unthreatened · calling the shots
under, underground, underneath, undergo, underline, shotgun, undertaking, undertake, gunman