open fire

1. 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]

Example Sentences

The suspect in Judge Kalaja's killing had opened fire because he expected to lose the case, according to local media reports.

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On Saturday, protests became violent, with immigration authorities saying they opened fire on an armed woman after she and others allegedly rammed their cars into law enforcement vehicles.

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He said: "Within seconds, the police arrived, they gave him a couple of warnings, he didn't listen so they opened fire."

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At least two people have been killed in Morocco after police opened fire to prevent protesters from storming a police station in Lqliaa, near the coastal city of Agadir, state media says.

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A clip circulating on social media, verified by the BBC, appears to show the moment police opened fire.

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Related Words

• barrage 
• batter 
• besiege 
• blast 
• blitz 
• bomb 
• harass 
• hound 
• pester 
• strafe