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

And at a press conference on the shortage of non-fossil fuels needed to decarbonise air travel, EU regulations on the minimum amounts of such fuels required in aircraft tanks came under fire.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

At the same time Clark was damaging her image, her Fever bosses came under fire for trying to protect that image by revoking the credential of veteran Fever and Pacers beat reporter Scott Agness.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

“DOGE,” as Elon Musk dubbed the entity, has come under fire from two other whistleblowers for mishandling data and compromising the Social Security numbers of every American.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Prabowo himself has come under fire over the programme, especially for its hefty price tag at a time when Indonesia is grappling with dwindling trade surpluses and a weak currency.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

They found no sympathy for the misery and terror they’d endured at sea, no appreciation for the fact that they’d kept their heads under fire and prevented a catastrophic war.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin