draw fire
Encounter criticism, as in His recent article was bound to draw fire. This expression uses the verb draw in the sense of “attract” or “provoke,” and transfers fire in the sense of “gunfire” to a somewhat milder attack.
Words nearby draw fire
draw away, draw back, draw blood, draw curtain, draw down, draw fire, draw game, draw gear, draw in, draw in one's horns, draw in the reins
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.