firing line

noun

1

: a line from which fire is delivered against a target

2

: the forefront of an activity

—used especially in the phrase on the firing line

Examples of firing line in a Sentence

a brave soldier who was never far behind the firing line

Recent Examples on the Web

Davies is 31 and in his 11th season at Spurs, just back from an injury and straight into the firing line. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025

Now Page steps into the firing line against the heavy-handed Magomedov as the betting underdog. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Dyche and his backroom staff take few chances with fitness in pre-season, and with heavy sessions in the legs during the week, some players have been proactively taken out of the firing line to avoid potential injuries or exacerbating existing problems. —Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024

Tell a soldier's story New Zealand soldiers walking over a wooden bridge spanning the Ypres Canal heading for the firing line at the Western Front, c. 1917. —Bob Hirshon, Discover Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024

The willingness of the four judges to challenge the status quo placed them directly in the political firing line. —Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2017

Fred fell off his horse, grabbed his .35 Magnum, and came charging up to the firing line like a Patton tank. —Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 2 May 2024

Anything that gets No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev away from the crease and out of the firing line. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Apr. 2024

The memo, also quoted by CNN, noted that journalists whose roles can be performed by AI will be the first in future firing lines. —Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 21 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for firing line

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine