open fire

phrase

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nearly 30 years to the day that Shakur was gunned down in the passenger seat of a BMW Knight was driving, Davis is accused of murder for allegedly giving his crew the order to open fire on Shakur in retaliation for a fight. — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Officers tried to break through a door to get in, leading Phillips to allegedly open fire on them. — Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Because the act that prompted the deputies to open fire was committed solely by the deceased suspect, Jianquan Bo could not be charged in connection with his brother’s death. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Finally, as Qiu and another tried opening the driver’s door, McAlpin allegedly reached for a pistol, prompting the officers to open fire on him. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for open fire

Rhymes for open fire

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Browse Nearby Words

open-file
open fire
open fire on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20fire. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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