How to Use return fire in a Sentence
return fire
noun-
Prosecutors said police did not return fire at any point.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 21 May 2024
-
When the ships were about half a mile apart, the Kearsarge’s captain, John Winslow, ordered Pease and the other gunners in his crew to return fire.
—James Hagengruber, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2023
-
In the other two, an officer was wounded and unable to return fire.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2023
-
Sirens wail and gunshots pop in rapid succession in the background of the five-minute livestream as the two officers try to shield themselves behind the car and return fire.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
-
The officer did not return fire, police said, because the streets were packed with pedestrians.
—Rob Frehse, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024
-
Officers did not return fire and the suspect was arrested, White said.
—Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024
-
Rougeau managed to return fire, killing Stine, according to police.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 18 June 2023
-
But the Ukrainian artillery team positioned to return fire was unfazed.
—Michael Schwirtz David Guttenfelder, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2023
-
An armed security guard was present at the restaurant when the shooting took place, and did return fire when the shooting occurred, according to Woodfork.
—Jay Croft, CNN, 29 Apr. 2023
-
According to the state’s attorney, the video shows the officers firing their weapons before taking return fire.
—Jennifer Henderson, CNN, 29 Sep. 2023
-
As more responding officers attempted to go up the lobby stairs and rescue the wounded Wilt, the suspect opened fire on them, prompting them to return fire.
—Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2023
-
We are forced to return fire at military facilities in the border regions!
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
-
Two officers return fire, hitting the shooter. 10:27 a.m. Police confirm the shooter is dead.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2023
-
Shortly thereafter, Curtis can be seen firing at least once at the officers before the officers return fire.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2023
-
This strategy was employed by SWAT to return fire, retreat from the residence, and deploy nonlethal options.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
-
The Ukrainians only return fire if Russian forces advance and expose themselves, says the local commander, called Vladyslav.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2023
-
The Mayor’s political instinct when under attack is to return fire.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
-
By Israel’s account, the destruction began after Hamas gunmen refused to surrender and started shooting at the Israeli forces, prompting them to return fire.
—Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
-
Incidents were excluded from the total if no officers fired a bullet that struck someone, such as accidental discharges with no injuries or the few cases in which officers did not return fire after a suspect fired.
—Adiel Kaplan, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023
-
As missile submarines, their primary mission was to remain undetected, but if forced into a fight with a Soviet submarine, a missile boat had to retain the ability to return fire and destroy its attacker.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2023
-
Philippine Marines return fire, causing casualties, and Philippine warplanes damage a Chinese Type 071 amphibious landing dock.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 1 Sep. 2023
-
Never allow anyone to chase a suspect forward of the subject vehicle—the officer may be ambushed by someone still in the vehicle, and fellow officers cannot return fire without endangering the pursuing officer.
—USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
-
Money that could be used to establish a prosperous economy is instead diverted to purchasing weapons and missile components, fired from civilian homes, hospitals, and schools to maximize casualties if the Israelis return fire.
—Douglas J. Feith, National Review, 24 Oct. 2023
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'return fire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Last Updated: