crosshairs

noun/ˈkrɔsˌhɛrz/

Frequency rank: #17,085 most common English word

Meaning

the target of focused attention, scrutiny, or attack; originally the intersecting lines in an optical sight used for aiming.

Illustration for the English word “crosshairs”

Example sentence

The detective knew the suspect was in the crosshairs of the investigation.

Synonyms & related words

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