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.

Around the altar, placards bearing the names of Christian villages in south Lebanon -- cut off from the rest of the country or under fire -- had been placed.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

He has come under fire in the past for his inability to speak French, including shortly after he was appointed as CEO of Air Canada in 2021.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Live Nation, the ticketing giant that reached a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice last week, remains under fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Even Mamdani’s family’s social media usage is coming under fire.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 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