be/come under fire

come under fire

To be subject to intense criticism or judgment. The company came under fire after a newspaper reported allegations of the CEO's misappropriation of funds. You will definitely come under fire if they find out that you were responsible for the printing error. I hear that their business practices have come under fire from the FBI.

See also: come, fire

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

come under fire

or

be under fire

COMMON If someone or something comes under fire or is under fire, they are strongly criticized. The president's plan came under fire from critics who said he didn't include enough spending cuts. Britain's prisons are under fire from an international human rights group. Note: This expression comes from the literal meaning of soldiers being under fire, meaning that they are being shot at.

See also: come, fire

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

be/come under ˈfire

1 be shot at: While defending the town we came under fire again last night.
2 be criticized, insulted, etc: The government is already under fire over its housing policy.

See also: come, fire

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017