open fire

idiom

: to begin shooting

A man opened fire in a crowded mall.

—often + on

The soldiers opened fire on enemy troops.

Examples of open fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its sailors sometimes have seconds to confirm a launch by the Houthis, confer with other ships, and open fire on an incoming missile barrage that can move near or beyond the speed of sound. —

Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 June 2024 Police say the Jaguar was navigating around some traffic cones down the street and sideswiped the Volvo, angering Zuniga and motivating him to chase down the Jaguar and open fire. —

Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024 In one incident more than 100 people are killed, Palestinian officials say, when thousands converge on an aid convoy and Israeli troops open fire. —

Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024 Gunmen open fire at Crocus City Hall building, an entertainment complex in Moscow. —

George Petras, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for open fire

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'open fire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.