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in the crosshairs

targeted for criticism or attack

In Headline Expressions

In more detail

1. (idiom) in a position where someone is targeting you or is about to attack you

2. (idiom) being the focus of criticism or blame

Examples

• 1. The company found itself in the crosshairs of environmental groups after the oil spill.
• 2. The politician was in the crosshairs of the media investigation.

How to use in the crosshairs

This idiom draws from the metaphor of a gun's crosshair sight and conveys vulnerability to attack, criticism, or intense scrutiny. It is commonly used in political, legal, and media contexts to suggest someone or something faces imminent threat or blame. The phrase tends to be more dramatic and urgent in tone than the more neutral 'under scrutiny.'

Common phrases

• put someone in the crosshairs
• find yourself in the crosshairs
• in the crosshairs of criticism
• in the crosshairs of investigation
• squarely in the crosshairs

Synonyms

in the line of fire · under fire · targeted · under scrutiny · in the spotlight

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use 'in the crosshairs' to describe merely being watched or noticed, when the expression actually implies targeted negative attention or threat rather than simple observation.

Nearby in Headline Expressions

the writing on the wall, a tipping point, a wake-up call, under fire, on thin ice, draw a line in the sand

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained