firing line

See synonyms for firing line on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Military.

    • the positions at which troops are stationed to fire upon the enemy or targets.

    • the troops firing from this line.

  2. the forefront of any action or activity, especially a controversy.

Origin of firing line

1
First recorded in 1880–85

Words Nearby firing line

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use firing line in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for firing line

firing line

noun
  1. military

    • the positions from which fire is delivered

    • the soldiers occupying these positions

  2. the leading or most advanced position in an activity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012