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

After all, accidental attacks, though tragic, are common in war. In 1967 alone, "friendly fire" killed 5,373 Americans fighting in Vietnam.

—Michael Oren

Examples of friendly fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In response, your body releases toxins of its own, chemicals designed to kill the invading organism but that, all too often, damage your body, too, leaving you victim to friendly fire. —Peter Ubel, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

The last friendly fire incident occurred in November 2015 at the Jordanian International Police Training Center (JIPTC) in Muwaqqar, less than a year before Al Jafr. —David Schenker, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2017

Though the operation succeeded politically, the Russian military’s performance was pathetic; there was horrible coordination between branches, poorly executed flight missions, malfunctioning equipment and deaths from friendly fire. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

There were 25 soldiers killed, some likely by friendly fire. —Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above