Synonyms

under fire

Idioms

Criticized or held responsible, as in The landlord is under fire for not repairing the roof. This expression originally referred to being within range of enemy guns; its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And at a press conference on the shortage of non-fossil fuels needed to decarbonise air travel, EU regulations on the minimum amounts of such fuels required in aircraft tanks came under fire.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

“DOGE,” as Elon Musk dubbed the entity, has come under fire from two other whistleblowers for mishandling data and compromising the Social Security numbers of every American.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

In recent years Dolan has come under fire for using facial-recognition technology to bar people from Madison Square Garden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

They said that in the case of Prince Sultan airbase the facility had previously come under fire before the aircraft were destroyed.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Heinz obeyed, but he found himself under fire.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023