Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

in the crosshairs

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.70 in modern English

Syllables: in- the crosshairs
IPA

23

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Targeted at the point of intersection of the two perpendicular lines in a gunsight or scope.

prep_phrase

Subject to close scrutiny.

prep_phrase

Singled out for blame, harassment, or other unwanted attention.

Example Sentences

"Industry experts are concerned that if the railway doesn't change tack, it would soon find itself out of step with the needs of the nation and in the crosshairs of a Treasury looking to slash spending."
"Nettles lives in the crosshairs, with the secret police, his sympathizers, and his now and would-be lovers making impossible demands on him."
"The German industrial giants that exploited slave labor during the war, from Volkswagen to Krupp, are in the crosshairs of class-action suits from Holocaust survivors."
"U.S. Representative Jane Harman, a California Democrat, has found herself in the crosshairs of a potential scandal."

Questions

What does in the crosshairs mean?: Targeted at the point of intersection of the two perpendicular lines in a gunsight or scope.

How to pronounce in the crosshairs

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “in the crosshairs”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “in the crosshairs” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.