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
Janine Di GiovanniAfter all, accidental attacks, though tragic, are common in war. In 1967 alone, "friendly fire" killed 5,373 Americans fighting in Vietnam.—Michael Oren
Michael OrenExamples of friendly fire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Over a dozen men were killed and many more injured in the friendly fire incident.
—
Salena Zito,
Washington Post,
1 July 2026
He was hit and killed by friendly fire in April of that year.
—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 by friendly fire.
—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
And Mina points to federal and state investigations that cleared officers accused of accidentally killing some victims from friendly fire.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for friendly fire
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Salena Zito,
Washington Post,
1 July 2026
He was hit and killed by friendly fire in April of that year.
—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 by friendly fire.
—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
And Mina points to federal and state investigations that cleared officers accused of accidentally killing some victims from friendly fire.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for friendly fire
Cite this Entry
“Friendly fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friendly%20fire. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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