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Glite Dictionary
to draw fire

to draw fire

4 6.7
To attract criticism and angry reactions for what you say or do
  • phrasal verb
  • /drɔ faɪər/
translation icon : atraer críticas
  • The SA Senate has continually drawn fire for accomplishing little.

Examples

  • The controversial statement made by the senator drew fire from his critics in the press.

  • In the early 1990s, the mayor drew fire.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Strongly backed by the U.S. Catholic Conference, the plan drew fire from public school groups.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Being a conservative, white, Christian, and a climate skeptic, I draw fire from several different angles.

    Blog text (12)

  • Here, for example, is a recent headline from CBSNews.com: "President Obama plays 100th round of golf, draws fire from critics."

    Blog text (9)

  • Despite such efforts, Ms. Feal and other MLA leaders have continued to draw fire for not doing more on behalf of scholars who are off the tenure track.

    Academic text (2016)

  • Though his economic plan was being realized—GDP grew nearly three percent in 1990 and over four percent in 1991—Salinas' administration drew fire from many sectors.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Santorum drew fire from CAIR in November 2011 when he advocated the profiling of Muslims at airports.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Her proposal to cut funding for public schools drew fire from teachers and parents alike.

  • The company's decision to raise prices during the pandemic drew fire from unhappy customers.

Synonyms

to spark a firestorm
vsto draw fire
1 7.0

To cause many people to show strong public anger or criticism

attract criticism more generally rather than causing sudden public uproar
to catch heat
vsto draw fire
  • Informal
1 8.3

To get criticism or blame from others for something you did

attract adverse attention that is broader than direct blame
to face backlash
vsto draw fire
  • Literature
1 6.1

To receive strong public criticism for something you do or say

is more general and can be less intense than that

Antonyms

to deflect attention
6 5.2

To make people look at something else to avoid criticism

How Criticized

under fire
  • Literature
58 5.0
to draw fire
4 6.7
criticism
512 3.0

Surface Forms

draw fire infinitive
drawing fire present participle
draws fire third person singular
drew fire past
drawn fire past participle

Morphology

draw + fire

The verb 'draw' clearly means 'to attract' and combining it with 'fire' (understood as attack or criticism) yields the intended sense 'attract criticism', so there is a recognizable compositional link. However, the metaphorical use of 'fire' for verbal attack and the military-to-criticism extension may not be obvious to an average B1 learner without prior exposure, making the expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

The phrase draw fire comes from battlefields: a soldier who moved where the enemy could see him would draw the enemy's fire (gunshots), so the enemy would shoot at him and show where they were. That's why draw fire now means 'to attract criticism or attack'.