open fire
idiom
: to begin shooting
A man opened fire in a crowded mall.
—often + onThe soldiers opened fire on enemy troops.
Examples of open fire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gunmen open fire at Crocus City Hall building, an entertainment complex in Moscow.
—
George Petras, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
That prompted the other officers to open fire, Jarjura said.
—Teri Figueroa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2023
Not only will the 9.75-inch candles, which come in antique bronze and pewter, look beautiful in your windows, but the LED lights are also safer to have around kids and pets than the real thing since there’s no open fire.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023
The three officers then open fire on the man, shooting multiple rounds, the video shows.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
And those seeds are not roasted by an open fire; they’re toasted in an oven or skillet, then ground into an earthy, rich, and nutty paste.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2023
The soldier said Card then threatened to open fire at a drill center in Saco, Maine, the letter said.
—Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2023
Documents show deputies canceled the File 6 alert for Card on October 18th – one week before Card would ultimately open fire on men, women and children at two different locations.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
In this dashcam video posted to social media, a car fleeing the area encounters Hamas terrorists who open fire.
—NBC news, 14 Oct. 2023
George Petras, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
That prompted the other officers to open fire, Jarjura said.
—Teri Figueroa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2023
Not only will the 9.75-inch candles, which come in antique bronze and pewter, look beautiful in your windows, but the LED lights are also safer to have around kids and pets than the real thing since there’s no open fire.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023
The three officers then open fire on the man, shooting multiple rounds, the video shows.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
And those seeds are not roasted by an open fire; they’re toasted in an oven or skillet, then ground into an earthy, rich, and nutty paste.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2023
The soldier said Card then threatened to open fire at a drill center in Saco, Maine, the letter said.
—Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2023
Documents show deputies canceled the File 6 alert for Card on October 18th – one week before Card would ultimately open fire on men, women and children at two different locations.
—Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
In this dashcam video posted to social media, a car fleeing the area encounters Hamas terrorists who open fire.
—NBC news, 14 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'open fire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Open fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20fire. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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