backfire

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noun back·fire \-ˌfī(-ə)r\

Definition of backfire

1 : a fire started to check an advancing fire by clearing an area
2 : a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel mixture in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine

Recent Examples of backfire from the Web

Their property was right on the char line where the state had laid a backfire to stop the wildfire in its tracks.

— paige st. john, latimes.com, "'Hell or high water': Oroville residents struggle with another disaster," 10 July 2017
Crews lit backfires on three sides of the fire overnight to limit its spread, said fire Capt.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Southern California is blanketed by the smell of wildfires; here's the latest.," 29 June 2017
If for instance, his moves on health care and climate change backfire and come to be seen as historic mistakes, Obama's reputation is likely to prosper by contrast with his successor, whatever Trump says now.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump's new foil: a silent Barack Obama," 27 June 2017
Socialite novelist invites eccentric medium to home for seance to gather material for next book, but scheme backfires.

— rasputin todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: June 26-July 2," 26 June 2017
Still, Trump's approach represents a serious gamble, that could get him into deep legal and political waters if if backfires.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump bets there's no smoking gun in Comey case," 9 June 2017
Frank's play for a declaration of war against ICO backfires and opens the Underwoods up to the scrutiny of a congressional investigation.

— ethan renner, baltimoresun.com, "‘House of Cards’ recap, Season 5, Episode 1: The Underwoods return, upping the fear factor," 30 May 2017
Locals might recognize the space as the former model-magnet Joia and then a series of stuttering, celebrity backfires, including De Vito’s and Cavalli.

— victoria pesce elliott, miamiherald, "‘Elegant and understated’ is a Miami rarity. So is this Italian cuisine," 25 May 2017
In their view, trade equals jobs and prosperity, and concern about human rights too often backfires, getting in the way of efforts by the United States government to increase all three.

— peter baker and michael d. shear, New York Times, "To Trump, Human Rights Concerns Are Often a Barrier to Trade," 20 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backfire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of backfire

1801

backfire

verb back·fire

Definition of backfire

intransitive verb
1 : to make or undergo a backfire
2 : to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect their plans backfired

See backfire defined for English-language learners

Examples of backfire in a Sentence

my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up sobbing that everyone had forgotten her birthday

Recent Examples of backfire from the Web

Not getting your roots done is a foolproof way into the look, but other stylists, like Sharon Dorram, a celebrity colorist at Sally Hershberger's New York salon, warn that a harsh stripe of roots can backfire.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "This Is the Secret to Making Dark Roots Look Intentional," 17 July 2017
The Palestinian leader’s efforts to secure a place in history appear likely to backfire in disastrous fashion.

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "Mahmoud Abbas’s Legacy Blows Up in His Face," 11 July 2017
But when Trump went ahead and ousted his FBI director, the move backfired, drawing angry condemnation from Democrats and almost everyone else.

— joshua green, Daily Intelligencer, "Steve Bannon Is Out of Trump’s Doghouse and Leading the Charge Against Mueller," 9 July 2017
The GOP tried to gather Obamacare horror stories, but their plan royally backfired.

— lindsey lanquist, SELF, "Hillary Clinton to the GOP: 'Feel Free to Run With' My Health Care Plan," 7 July 2017
Just today, the New York Times gave column space to former Clinton operative Mark Penn, who stupidly argued that the Democrats need to be the party of the mythical American center, the exact same strategy that backfired on Clinton last fall.

— drew magary, GQ, "Democrats Will Never Get Their Shit Together," 6 July 2017
But even that might backfire, POLITICO reported, because the same moderates are still fuming over the larger Medicaid cuts.

— aubrey whelan, Philly.com, "TRUMPadelphia: Healthcare and the opioid crisis, Christie at the beach, and more," 5 July 2017
But now those efforts may be backfiring following a new report that claims to show the awkward criteria the company uses to choose which content to censor.

— tom huddleston, Fortune, "Facebook’s Hate Speech Rules Make ‘White Men’ a Protected Group," 29 June 2017
Set your price point Throwing money at an unfamiliar varietal while on vacation can backfire.

— hugh garvey, CNT, "How to Order Wine Abroad," 26 June 2017

First Known Use of backfire

1852

BACKFIRE Defined for English Language Learners

backfire

verb

Definition of backfire for English Language Learners

of an engine or vehicle : to make a loud sound when fuel is not burned properly
: to have the opposite result of what was desired or expected

BACKFIRE Defined for Kids

backfire

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verb back·fire \ˈbak-ˌfīr\

Definition of backfire for Students

backfired

;

backfiring

1 : to have a result opposite to what was planned The joke backfired.
2 : to make a loud engine noise caused by fuel igniting at the wrong time

backfire

play

noun back·fire

Definition of backfire for Students

1 : a loud engine noise caused by fuel igniting at the wrong time
2 : a fire that is set to stop the spread of a forest fire or a grass fire by burning off a strip of land ahead of it