Idioms

crosshairs

Also found in: Dictionary, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

be caught in the/(one's) crosshairs

"Crosshairs" are the fine lines or wires that cross in the focus of an optical instrument as a visual aid. The term is often hyphenated or spelled as two words.

1. To be a visible target in one's gunsights. There's an enemy sniper on the roof. Make sure you aren't caught in his cross hairs. In these parts, an animal that's caught in the crosshairs is as good as dead. As soon as he realized he was caught in the thug's crosshairs, it was already too late.

2. To be the target of or in a position vulnerable to one's criticism or attack. The CEO has been caught in the crosshairs of numerous politicians and pundits for his recent comments on immigration. The boss is really angry about what happened, so just keep your head down during the meeting. You don't want to be caught in his crosshairs. I have no idea what they were arguing about, I just walked in at an inopportune time and was caught in the crosshairs.

See also: caught, crosshairs

in (one's) cross hairs

1. Literally, visible in one's gunsight. Once you've got the deer in your cross hairs, shoot! Once he had me in his cross hairs, I put my hands up and admitted defeat. There's an enemy sniper on the roof. Make sure you don't end up in his cross hairs.

2. By extension, in a position in which other people are eager to criticize or attack. The CEO has been in politicians' cross hairs for his recent comments on immigration. The boss is really angry about what happened, so just keep your head down during the meeting. You don't want to be in his crosshairs. I have no idea what they were arguing about, I just walked in at an inopportune time and ended up in their crosshairs.

See also: cross, hair

in the cross hairs

In a position in which other people are eager to criticize or attack. The CEO has been in the cross hairs of politicians and businesspeople alike for his recent comments on immigration. The boss is really angry about what happened, so just keep your head down during the meeting. You don't want to be caught in his cross hairs. I have no idea what they were arguing about, I just walked in at an inopportune time and was caught in the crosshairs.

See also: cross, hair

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

See also:

References in periodicals archive

Crosshair versus holdover reticles is a personal affair and depends entirely on whether the shooter wants to dial for elevation or just holdover.

RETICLE RECONCILIATION

"Public Education in the Crosshairs" is an expose of a number of consequences flowing from NCLB, especially in Ohio where legislators and lawyers designed and tested a program allowing vouchers to religious schools in Cleveland--a program the U.S.

Public Education in the Crosshairs

Out of the two, Rooney does the best job in describing the club, largely from its spot in the crosshairs in the long war between "high" and "low" American culture, while Farr expounds on her thesis that the club is a "triumph of cultural democracy" that allows its selected novels to "talk" to readers.

The Oprah effect: two scholars independently assess the book club that changed everything

Using the keypad, players direct the crosshairs and try to take out as many enemies as possible as they appear on the screen.

Digital Jesters launches new Mini Bet On Soldier game

The crosshairs of the scope are then aligned and true to the horizon.

Wheeler Engineering: Level-Level-Level

So the 527s are now in the crosshairs of the reformers, and speech is newly imperiled and must be newly defended.

Spokesman for speech

This Carmen snapshots a society caught in the crosshairs, with little opportunity to find safety or calm.

Preview: Festival Ballet

Corus itself was in the headlines early in 2005 for allegedly being in the crosshairs of ThyssenKrupp, the German industrial conglomerate, although denied by both sides.

The steel scene

Thanks to a spate of high-profile corporate scandals, C-level executives are the latest, greatest bad guy to enter the crosshairs of a voracious news media and an even more voracious class action industry.

Spotlight on D&O

workers into globalization's crosshairs. White-collar workers who shrugged off the suffering of their blue-collar brothers and sisters over the last two decades now have a much different perspective on all that union grousing.

Outsourcing around: a new round of job losses reaches white-collar workers. Could whiny columnists be next?

If there ever was a country in the crosshairs, Syria is it.

Ewan Fernie's book takes the concept of shame out of its tangential sphere in thematic Shakespeare scholarship and places it in the crosshairs of a wide-ranging inspection of the dramaturgical and philosophical import of shame in Shakespearean tragedy.

Ewan Fernie. Shame in Shakespeare

The next challenge in the crosshairs for Ethernet is moving beyond the Enterprise network to the connections between them--in the majority of cases, over public networks.

Avoiding the metro Ethernet brick wall

State Department's list of nations that sponsor terrorism, and perceived refuge of Iraqi regime leaders, Syria appeared to be positioned firmly in Washington's crosshairs. The situation since has been back and forth.

Damascus sighted: where's the next distraction war? (Up front: news and opinion from independent minds)

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.