friendly fire

noun

: the firing of weapons from one's own forces or those of an ally especially when resulting in the accidental death or injury of one's own personnel

Near the river bordering our camp I find the tents of the four soldiers who were supposedly hit by friendly fire.

—Janine Di Giovanni

After all, accidental attacks, though tragic, are common in war. In 1967 alone, "friendly fire" killed 5,373 Americans fighting in Vietnam.

—Michael Oren

Examples of friendly fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump’s January 6 pardons earned him friendly fire, much in the same way that Biden’s acts of clemency toward associates, friends and family, including toward his son Hunter Biden in December, drew attacks from both sides of the aisle. —Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025

Russian paramilitary soldiers were accidentally targeted and killed by North Korean troops in a recent bout of friendly fire, according to Ukrainian officials. —Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024

Because allies were unaware of their position behind enemy lines, the Division faced attacks from the Germans as well as an increasing onslaught of friendly fire. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

Palmer reports nothing suspicious about the attack at Sangin: standard Taliban weaponry, no signs of friendly fire. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above