under fire

Idioms  

1. Criticized or held responsible, as in The landlord is under fire for not repairing the roof. This expression originally referred to being within range of enemy guns; its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

under fire

The chain has recently come under fire for switching up the ordering system for its in-seat food service, forcing patrons to pull out their phones during a movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

He is not alone in using his phone to conduct video interviews with prospective employers — but doing so has come under fire recently.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

India summoned a top U.S. diplomat in protest after the incident, the second time a commercial vessel with Indian crew came under fire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

OpenAI has since come under fire for failing to report the suspect's account to police, prompting a written apology to the victims' families by CEO Sam Altman.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

They had been marching, and much of the time under fire, for twenty-four hours.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes