in the crosshairs

idiom

: being aimed at by a gun (such as a rifle) that has an aiming device with crosshairs

—often used figuratively

The senator's voting record was in the crosshairs of his political rivals.

Examples of in the crosshairs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Iranian rap music has become a vehicle for criticism of the regime amid the protests, placing several rap stars in the crosshairs of the regime. —Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024

Hitler’s next move was clear to anyone who could read a map: Poland was now in the crosshairs. —TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

If security is not guaranteed, many warn, the front-line communities will whither, and the rest of the country — 260 miles in length and 70 miles at its widest point, roughly the size of New Jersey — will be in the crosshairs. —William Booth, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

But last month again, Tony’s found itself in the crosshairs of Mondelez in Germany and Austria for mimicking their packaging in one of their ad campaigns. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 30 Mar. 2024

Taiwan, a close U.S. partner, is most directly in the crosshairs. —Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024

Fintech isn’t the only sector in the crosshairs right now. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024

The economy will be in the crosshairs this fall Republicans are also hoping to hammer Biden’s handling of the economy this election season, highlighting the runaway inflation Americans have faced in the last few years. —Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024

The Gray Lady has for several weeks been in the crosshairs of a vocal set of critics and readers who believe that Donald Trump poses a grave threat to American democracy and that the influential news organization isn’t adequately conveying those stakes to the public. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024