firefight

American  

[fahyuhr-fahyt] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪt /

noun

1. an exchange of gunfire between two opposing forces, especially a skirmish between military forces.

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firefight British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a brief small-scale engagement between opposing military ground forces using short-range light weapons

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Etymology

Origin of firefight

First recorded in 1895–1900; fire + fight

Example Sentences

The Israeli military determined that Lt Goldin was killed along with two other soldiers in a firefight, and that his body was then dragged into an underground tunnel by the Hamas fighters.

From BBC

He once had to dive for cover during a firefight.

From Los Angeles Times

Hamas gunmen also killed two Israeli soldiers in a firefight—though Hamas claimed the culprits were rival radical militias, with whom they were engaged in their own internecine conflict.

From Slate

After a 10-minute firefight, the half-dozen attackers fled with their wounded across the Euphrates River into areas controlled by Syria’s government, which SDF commanders say are more lightly patrolled.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Israel Hayom, military columnist Yoav Limor describes the firefight near Rafah as "a warning", adding: "If Israel fails to establish tough and clear rules vis-à-vis Hamas it could find itself on a slippery slope."

From BBC