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

Around the altar, placards bearing the names of Christian villages in south Lebanon -- cut off from the rest of the country or under fire -- had been placed.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Rousseau, who lives in Montreal but is an anglophone, had come under fire for his French language skills in the past, including shortly after he was appointed as CEO of Air Canada in 2021.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Live Nation, the ticketing giant that reached a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice last week, remains under fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

It is fairly easy for Iran to mine the narrow Strait of Hormuz, and it’s hard to clear mines under fire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

“Brittani Slocum. First question. The pageant has come under fire for perpetuating an unrealistic image of superthin girls as beautiful, and many people feel this is harmful to girls’ self-esteem.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray