crosshair

noun

cross·​hair ˈkrȯs-ˌher 

: a fine wire or thread in the focus of the eyepiece of an optical instrument used as a reference line in the field or for marking the instrumental axis

—used figuratively to describe someone or something being targeted as if through an aiming device having crosshairs

The tactics landed the company's top brass in the crosshairs of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

—Houston Chronicle

Examples of crosshair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For today’s setup, my crosshairs are locked on Salesforce (CRM) . —Nishant Pant, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026

Look at all the conservative influencers currently in the crosshairs. —Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Sutter and other north state counties have been caught in the crosshairs of redistricting efforts solidified through the passage of Proposition 50. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Nike’s track record mired by labor, equity concerns Nike’s domination of the sports apparel industry comes with controversy, and the company has come into the crosshairs of numerous lawsuits over the years. —Hannarose McGuinness, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for crosshair

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

cross hair

noun

: one of the very thin wires or threads in the eyepiece of an optical instrument (as a microscope) used as a reference line