crossfire
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be caught in the crossfire
1. To literally be in the middle of an exchange of gunfire. Police officers are often caught in the crossfire when apprehending criminals. These are some rough streets around here, and anyone is liable to be caught in the crossfire. You need to surrender to the cops before an innocent person is caught in the crossfire.
2. To feel the effects of an issue that one is not directly involved in. I know that they're arguing about the budget because I walked into the conference room at the wrong time and was caught in the crossfire. Dude, Mom and Dad are fighting in there. You'll be caught in the crossfire if you go in now. After my friends broke up, I was caught in the crossfire any time I tried to hang out with both of them together.
caught in the crossfire
1. Literally in the middle of an exchange of gunfire. Police officers are often caught in the crossfire when apprehending criminals. These are some rough streets around here, and anyone is liable to be caught in the crossfire. You need to surrender to the cops before an innocent person is caught in the crossfire.
2. Affected by or made to be involved in a conflict or issue that one is not a part of. I was caught in the crossfire of their argument over the budget, but I refused to take sides and told them to work it out on their own. Dude, Mom and Dad are fighting in there. You'll be caught in the crossfire if you go in now. After my friends broke up, I was caught in the crossfire any time I tried to hang out with both of them together.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
caught in the crossfire
1. Lit. trapped between two lines of enemy fire. I was caught in the crossfire and dove into a ditch to keep from getting killed.
2. and caught in the middle Fig. caught between two arguing people or groups, making it difficult to remain neutral. Bill and Ann were arguing, and poor Bobby, their son, was caught in the middle.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
be caught in the crossfire
If someone or something is caught in the crossfire, they suffer the unpleasant effects of a disagreement between other people even though they are not involved in it themselves. It's like when colleagues start to argue in a meeting. Suddenly, from being an innocent bystander, you're caught in the crossfire and required to join in. Teachers say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the Government. Note: This expression is more commonly used literally to talk about a situation where someone is in the way of two sets of people who are firing guns, and so is likely to be shot by mistake.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
be caught in the crossfire
suffer damage or harm inadvertently as the result of the conflict between two other people or groups.The literal sense of the phrase, in a military context, is ‘be trapped (and possibly killed) by being between two opposing sides who are shooting at each other’.
1998 New Scientist This suggested that the corneal cells are innocent victims caught in the crossfire as T cells fight the viral infection.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
be caught in the ˈcrossfire
become involved in a situation where two people or groups of people are arguing, and suffer as a result: When two industrial giants clash, small companies can get caught in the crossfire. Crossfire is the firing of guns from two or more directions at the same time.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017