friendly fire

noun

: the firing of weapons from one's own forces or those of an ally especially when resulting in the accidental death or injury of one's own personnel

Near the river bordering our camp I find the tents of the four soldiers who were supposedly hit by friendly fire.

—Janine Di Giovanni

After all, accidental attacks, though tragic, are common in war. In 1967 alone, "friendly fire" killed 5,373 Americans fighting in Vietnam.

—Michael Oren

Examples of friendly fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By any definition, the aircraft carrier bearing President Truman’s name is having a disastrous deployment in the Middle East, featuring a collision with a commercial vessel and the loss of three combat aircraft including one to friendly fire. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2025

First footage: Of Stay Forte, which stars Judd Hirsch and Selma Blair as Israeli hostages who, after a desperate escape from the tunnel network in Gaza, tragically fall victim to friendly fire. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025

Throughout his campaign, Sheehy claimed he was shot in 2012 from friendly fire while serving as a Navy Seal in Afghanistan. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024

Staffers have in particular warned about friendly fire from Trump’s efforts to purge diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal government. —Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for friendly fire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer