fair game

American  

noun

1. a legitimate or likely object of attack, mockery, etc..

   With his fat, round face, the politician was fair game for the cartoonists.

---

fair game British  

noun

1. a legitimate object for ridicule or attack

2. archaic hunting quarry that may legitimately be pursued according to the rules of a particular sport

---

fair game Idioms  

1. A legitimate target for attack or ridicule. For example, On his talk show, authors are considered fair game. This expression alludes to hunting. [Early 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of fair game

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fair game

While your primary home, your car as well as your retirement accounts are exempt from being liquidated in Chapter 7, your other assets are fair game.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Anything is fair game, from oil prices and the spread of infectious diseases to international incidents.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

How Jews are treated in a society says much about that society’s health and commitment to the rule of law, because once Jews are fair game, anyone is.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

A bottle cap or crease in a potato chip bag is fair game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026

A ceiling protected the mews from rain and snow, but more importantly from the wild hawks and owls for whom anything that moves is fair game.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George