in the crosshairs
idiom
: being aimed at by a gun (such as a rifle) that has an aiming device with crosshairs
—often used figuratively
The senator's voting record was in the crosshairs of his political rivals.
Examples of in the crosshairs in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just about every government agency is in the crosshairs for cutbacks, and the latest targets include the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—
Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
The wife and husband directorial duo have been in the crosshairs of Iran‘s authoritarian Islamic Republic regime since 2023 over their feature film My Favourite Cake, which world premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
President-as-policymaker and the development of an immense federal bureaucracy that is now in the crosshairs of Trump and Elon Musk was one unintended result.
—Claire B. Wofford, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
California’s planned bullet train is also in the crosshairs of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and the billionaire owner of Tesla Motors has long railed against the project.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the crosshairs
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.
Andrew Torgan, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
The wife and husband directorial duo have been in the crosshairs of Iran‘s authoritarian Islamic Republic regime since 2023 over their feature film My Favourite Cake, which world premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
President-as-policymaker and the development of an immense federal bureaucracy that is now in the crosshairs of Trump and Elon Musk was one unintended result.
—Claire B. Wofford, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
California’s planned bullet train is also in the crosshairs of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and the billionaire owner of Tesla Motors has long railed against the project.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the crosshairs
Articles Related to in the crosshairs
Cite this Entry
“In the crosshairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20crosshairs. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share