in the firing line
1
7.6
- idiom
- Informal
:
en la línea de fuego
- Abbott's calls come in the same week that Facebook has been in the firing line over hosting the controversial "Aboriginal Memes" page.
- puts in the firing line
I learnt all that, like when you're in the, the firing line of, of critics every week on stage.
- I learnt all that, like when you're in the, the firing line of, of critics every week on stage.
Examples
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As the company's performance declined, employees knew they were in the firing line for potential layoffs.
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"Syria certainly did not need to complicate the situation, just when it is already in the firing line" over UN Resolution 1559, Rauf Ghoneim, a former Egyptian deputy foreign minister, said on the public station, Nile-TV.
Blog text (28) -
Believe me, you're in the firing line.
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You're putting yourself in the firing line for somebody to say, "Well, you go and write a better one then."
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I learnt all that, like when you're in the, the firing line of, of critics every week on stage.
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It's just that the arrogant fucking Kraut like you is in the firing line.
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And the aggressive and destructive manner that the management-- Shop steward for 30 years. Always puts his head in the firing line.
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For those in the firing line, it can be a disconcerting, disorienting experience, particularly given the deeply personal nature of some of the comments made.
Blog text (22) -
While Silvestre always claimed that his relations with the emperor had been purely personal and that the benefits he had received had come without political conditions attached, he nevertheless found himself in the firing line: he was told that the Communards had sent the police to his house to arrest him, and his residence on the quai du Louvre was barricaded and targeted.
Academic text (2006) -
During the debate, the politician found himself in the firing line of tough questions from the press.
Synonyms
58
5.0
Receiving strong criticism or being shot at, often in public
34
3.5
A person or thing people attack and take advantage of because it is weak
22
4.6
A position where someone is under strong pressure and criticism because of their responsibilities
11
5.3
A situation where someone risks being harmed or strongly criticized
8
8.2
People are looking closely at and criticizing a person or thing
1
5.7
A position where a person faces strong criticism
Antonyms
How Exposed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally evokes being positioned where weapons are discharged—combining 'firing' (discharge of a weapon) with 'line' (forward position) clearly suggests exposure to danger, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer a sense of being under threat. However, its common figurative extension to criticism or blame is a metaphorical shift that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
In the firing line comes from the image of someone standing in front of guns on a firing line, where they are the target and at risk. So today, being in the firing line means being 'in a position to be criticized, blamed, or hurt'.