back·fire
ˈbak-ˌfī(-ə)r 
backfired; backfiring; backfires
1
: to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
their plans backfired
2
: to make or undergo a backfire
1
: a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel mixture in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
2
: a fire started to check an advancing fire by clearing an area
Synonyms
Examples of backfire in a Sentence
Verb
my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up thinking that everyone had forgotten her birthday
Recent Examples on the Web
Leah Feiger, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
While Pakistani businessmen and consumers are forced to foot the bill for these convoluted import journeys, experts say the trade ban has backfired politically.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Even though some companies have had April Fools' pranks backfire, marketers continue to issue spoof products in attempts to get some laughs and attention.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Expressing your political views nonstop at the office can backfire.
—Roxane Gay, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But Putin’s 2022 invasion backfired, vaulting Ukraine to official status as a candidate for E.U. membership.
—Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Violent repression can backfire or produce Pyrrhic victories.
—Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Here are the three crucial steps Western policymakers should take to fortify economic sanctions on Russia–and why these measures will not backfire economically on the West.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
There’s a warmth to Danny’s interactions with Eli that suggests the New Zealand transplant means well even when his plans backfire.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023
This can cause engine backfire, where fire spits out of the back of the engine, but doesn't mean the engine itself is on fire.
—Tom Costello, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024
The Lions' fourth-down calls This is when being aggressive backfires.
—Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Occasionally, the oldest marketing trick in the book backfires.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024
Aside from being detrimental to a company as a whole because of morale and attrition, talent hoarding also backfires on individual managers who hold onto employees for too long.
—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
Baby Capybara Who Went Viral for Dancing Like Michael Jackson Officially Named by Zoo Home
If the plan backfires, however, the swear-happy birds will still be the star attraction of the zoo.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024
Now, a loose coalition of anti-censorship voices is working to make that strategy backfire.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 1 Feb. 2024
The new research quantitatively demonstrates how search results, especially those prompted by queries that contain keywords from misleading articles, can easily lead people down digital rabbit holes and backfire.
—Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2023
Verb
Which could backfire on the people who are actually spreading the disinformation.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
While Pakistani businessmen and consumers are forced to foot the bill for these convoluted import journeys, experts say the trade ban has backfired politically.
—Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Even though some companies have had April Fools' pranks backfire, marketers continue to issue spoof products in attempts to get some laughs and attention.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Expressing your political views nonstop at the office can backfire.
—Roxane Gay, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
But Putin’s 2022 invasion backfired, vaulting Ukraine to official status as a candidate for E.U. membership.
—Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Violent repression can backfire or produce Pyrrhic victories.
—Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Here are the three crucial steps Western policymakers should take to fortify economic sanctions on Russia–and why these measures will not backfire economically on the West.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
There’s a warmth to Danny’s interactions with Eli that suggests the New Zealand transplant means well even when his plans backfire.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
Two players are voted out as a last-minute revelation by one of them backfires.
—EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023
This can cause engine backfire, where fire spits out of the back of the engine, but doesn't mean the engine itself is on fire.
—Tom Costello, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024
The Lions' fourth-down calls This is when being aggressive backfires.
—Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Occasionally, the oldest marketing trick in the book backfires.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024
Aside from being detrimental to a company as a whole because of morale and attrition, talent hoarding also backfires on individual managers who hold onto employees for too long.
—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024
Baby Capybara Who Went Viral for Dancing Like Michael Jackson Officially Named by Zoo Home
If the plan backfires, however, the swear-happy birds will still be the star attraction of the zoo.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024
Now, a loose coalition of anti-censorship voices is working to make that strategy backfire.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 1 Feb. 2024
The new research quantitatively demonstrates how search results, especially those prompted by queries that contain keywords from misleading articles, can easily lead people down digital rabbit holes and backfire.
—Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backfire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near backfire
Cite this Entry
“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backfire. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backfire
1 of 2 noun
back·fire
-ˌfī(ə)r
1
: a fire that is set to check the spread of a forest fire or a grass fire by burning off a strip of land ahead of it
2
: a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
backfire
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a backfire
2
: to have a result opposite to what was planned
their plans backfired
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