crossfire
definition
a situation in which two opposing parties shoot at each other and one is caught in the middle
example
The journalist found herself caught in the crossfire during the intense street protests, where both police and demonstrators were exchanging gunfire.
synonyms
crossfiregunfirefire
word origin — The term 'crossfire' originated in the mid-19th century, derived from the combination of 'cross', meaning to intersect, and 'fire', referring to the discharge of firearms, indicating a situation where lines of fire intersect.