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

The date does not go to plan after a move to take things further in a remote out-of-town motel lands them in the crosshairs of a bloody and intricate murder plot. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 June 2026

ImStillDissin said hackers have the upcoming Avatar series Seven Havens in their crosshairs next and are hungrier than ever for fresh content. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026

Target, too, recently found itself in the cultural crosshairs after bowing to external pressure to scrap its DEI policies. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 3 June 2026

Cheese is in the criminal crosshairs. —Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 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