open fire

idiom

: to begin shooting

A man opened fire in a crowded mall.

—often + on

The soldiers opened fire on enemy troops.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

When Ukrainian forces open fire and destroy the attacking squad, their positions are exposed, allowing elite specialists—including snipers and heavy weapons operators positioned behind the frontline—to zero in and inflict casualties. —Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 1 June 2023

That prompted one of the two deputies to open fire, the lieutenant said. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2023

After reaching the camp on camelback, seeing the sun go down over the dunes, a traditional Omani dinner — cooked by the small team over an open fire — is served under the stars before retreating to your bed for the night and rising early to see the sun come up. —Lauren Jade Hill, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023

Someone who looks like their grandfather, who traveled a similar immigrant path, did a singularly American thing — open fire on a group of innocent people. —Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023

The hearing came on the 10-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when a gunman open fire into school classrooms, fatally shooting 20 young children and six staff members. —Cady Stanton, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2022

Meals are cooked over an open fire in a kitchen, which is separated from the main room by a mud wall. —Bhadra Sharma, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022

Prosecutors have said Crumbley used a semi-automatic handgun to open fire on other teenagers in the hallway at the school roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit. —Corey Williams, ajc, 22 Sep. 2022

Barda centers on Patagonian dishes cooked over an open fire. —Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 28 July 2022

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