open fire

phrase

: to begin shooting

A man opened fire in a crowded mall.

—often + on

The soldiers opened fire on enemy troops.

Examples of open fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rescue efforts were interrupted Tuesday by menacing Russian drones, forcing soldiers to halt recovery operations and open fire to try to bring them down. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Pierce fled on foot and stabbed an officer in the neck with a knife, prompting authorities to open fire. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Kaylub Giamanco, whose children attend the school, had earlier seen the shooter open fire on a man who verbally confronted the suspect outside the school. — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

The event is free, and guests can also roast a hot dog or s’mores over an open fire. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for open fire

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