in the firing line

idiom

British
: in a place or position not protected from attack or criticism

Examples of in the firing line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From testimony on the ground, those who have fled said that men have been separated from women and children, who are now likely in hiding, but are next in the firing line, Raymond said. Camilla Alcini, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025 Cheryl Burke has unexpectedly found herself in the firing line for not giving one Dancing With the Stars contestant a sufficiently high score. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 In June, Germany’s chief of defense, General Carsten Breuer, told the BBC that NATO must be ready to repel a possible Russian attack within the next four years, and that the Baltic states could be among the first in the firing line. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 How many people her age could step right in the firing line and take command like Leavitt has? Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for in the firing line

Cite this Entry

“In the firing line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20firing%20line. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!