under fire
The phrase "under fire" originates from military contexts but is now widely used to describe situations of intense criticism or scrutiny.
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Definition
B2Military
(technical)Being subjected to gunfire or artillery attack.
Example
- The soldiers were under fire as they advanced towards the enemy lines.
B2General
(figurative)Facing strong criticism or intense scrutiny.
Example
- The politician is under fire for his recent comments on social media.
- The new policy has come under fire from various advocacy groups.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "under fire":
under the gunline of fireon firein the crosshairstake firereturn firefiring lineshots firedtrial by fireopen firehold firefire outback firefire offat warfire awaywalking firefalse fireunder the pumphang firefiring pointset on fireon the defensivefire in the holehold one's firefired upstatic firebin fireat gunpointcold fire