crosshair

noun

cross·hair | \ˈkrȯs-ˌher

Definition of crosshair

: 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 … in the crosshairs this political season— J. H. Alter

Examples of crosshair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brash radio personality Charlamagne tha God also walks into the crosshairs of the 6 God, with a shot at Charlamagne's skin complexion. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, "Ranking Each Song From Side A of Drake's 'Scorpion' Album: Critic's Take," 29 June 2018 Rohrabacher’s seat has been in the Democratic Party’s crosshairs throughout this election cycle, particularly since Hillary Clinton narrowly won the 48th District in the 2016 presidential election. — Hannah Fry, latimes.com, "Rouda inches ahead of fellow Democrat Keirstead in race to face Rohrabacher for congressional seat; votes are still being counted," 20 June 2018 If this leads to significant regulatory crosshairs, then the thesis on Facebook goes by the wayside. — Wendy Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, "Facebook debacle could force US to catch up with Europe in privacy rules," 24 Mar. 2018 President Donald Trump’s trade policies have put Harley-Davidson in the crosshairs. — Abigail Simon, Time, "7 Ways Donald Trump Made Harley-Davidson a Target," 26 June 2018 On the other hand, Rodibaugh, who raises pigs and grows soybeans, corn and some wheat along with his three brothers and their families on their 2,000-plus-acre farm, had hoped American farmers wouldn't be caught in the crosshairs. — Karen Caffarini, Post-Tribune, "As tariffs begin, Northwest Indiana auto workers and farmers share concerns," 10 July 2018 That reportedly could put the money raised through a crowdfunding site in the crosshairs. — Brooke Singman, Fox News, "Stormy Daniels' legal fund could be targeted in case against attorney Avenatti," 13 June 2018 China’s regional power push, including its broad claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea, get relatively little U.S. attention while North Korea is squaring in the crosshairs. — Christina Cliff, Fortune, "Trump’s First Meeting With Kim May Be Little More Than a Photo Op," 11 June 2018 This will be Fletcher’s fourth time in the crosshairs. — Michael Smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Will Fletcher surge now that he survived the primary?," 10 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crosshair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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in the crosshairs

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Last Updated

9 Oct 2018

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The first known use of crosshair was circa 1884

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More Definitions for crosshair

crosshair

noun

English Language Learners Definition of crosshair

: a very thin wire or thread that is seen when you look into a microscope, telescope, etc., and that is used for precisely viewing or aiming at something

See the full definition for crosshair in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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