open fire
Begin a verbal attack, as in In her second letter to the editor she opened fire, saying the reporter had deliberately misquoted her. This idiom alludes to discharging a firearm. [Mid-1800s]
Words Nearby open fire
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
How to use open fire in a sentence
A legacy so strong that often farmers open fire on the army when it enters the area to try to destroy fields.
It is possible that there was a provocation in order to force Ukrainians to open fire.
That fear is that Purim and its Megilla (the Book of Esther) would inspire a wannabe to open fire on a group of innocents.
Farmers immediately evacuated their fields, fearing troops would open fire, they said.
Lucky for me, they are often served together, rubbed with spices and grilled to perfection on an open fire.
Rue's threat to open fire brought Morgan to terms, when another issue was raised.
Stoves were known, but most commonly heat was obtained from an open fire in the centre of the building.
In our dressing-room, which was an extra chamber, an open fire burned, but in our chamber there was no heat.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonWe determined to take all the chances, and to open fire as soon as they came within range.
The gunners stood beside their guns, ready to open fire if the Rebels opposed them.
The Boys of '61 | Charles Carleton Coffin.
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