crossfire

or cross fire

[kraws-fahyer, kros‐]

See more synonyms for crossfire on Thesaurus.com

noun

lines of gunfire from two or more positions or combatants crossing one another, or a single one of such lines.
a brisk exchange of words or opinions.
a situation involving conflicting claims, forces, etc.

Origin of crossfire

First recorded in 1855–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cross-fire

Contemporary Examples

When you haven't been in the cross-fire of a smart debater, you panic in the moment.
Obama Should Have Spent More Time in Court
David Frum
October 4, 2012

Historical Examples

His lordship listened, though with a cross-fire of interruptions.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
Irene kept up a cross-fire of words with the vicomte and Velletri.
The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume II (of 2)
Alexandre Dumas pre
But, packed as they were, the cross-fire could not fail to be deadly.
Two Sides of the Face
Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
Being here encountered by a cross-fire from the store they were stopped.
The Story of the Zulu Campaign
Waller Ashe
There was a babble of welcome, a cross-fire of question and answer.
Regiment of Women
Clemence Dane

British Dictionary definitions for cross-fire

crossfire

noun

military converging fire from one or more positions
a lively exchange of ideas, opinions, etc

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

Word Origin and History for cross-fire

n.

also crossfire, 1860, from cross (adj.) + fire (n.).

crossfire

or cross fire

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}crossfire

Examples from the Web for cross-fire

Contemporary Examples

When you haven't been in the cross-fire of a smart debater, you panic in the moment.

Historical Examples

His lordship listened, though with a cross-fire of interruptions.

Irene kept up a cross-fire of words with the vicomte and Velletri.

But, packed as they were, the cross-fire could not fail to be deadly.

Being here encountered by a cross-fire from the store they were stopped.

There was a babble of welcome, a cross-fire of question and answer.

crossfire

Word Origin and History for cross-fire

n.

Origin of crossfire