come under fire (from)
Meaning(s)
1. be subject to intense criticism, be attacked with guns
Popularity
High
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
come under fire for a mistake/come under fire in war
Analysis
To come under fire means to be subject to intense criticism. To be under fire means that someone is shooting at you, so, the idiom to come under fire means to be consistently or repeatedly criticised or verbally attacked by others.
Social Examples (Advance)
- The politician has been coming under fire from disability groups for his proposed cuts to the health service.
- UN peacekeepers stationed in the war-torn country came under heavy fire from rebel troops yesterday.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- A gas company has come under fire for raising their prices just before the start of winter.
- The finance minister has come under fire for refusing to admit the impact of the hike in taxes.