backfire

1 of 2

verb

back·​fire ˈbak-ˌfī(-ə)r 

backfired; backfiring; backfires

intransitive verb

1

: to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect

their plans backfired

2

: to make or undergo a backfire

backfire

2 of 2

noun

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

Verb

• boomerang

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

Verb

Larsa Pippen innocently attempted to share a picture of her jewelry line Tuesday night, but her post backfired. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024

The elephant was having a bath outside the Butte Civic Center before the Jordan World Circus show at the venue that night when a passing car backfired and scared her, KXLF reported. —Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids 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 verb

1

: to make a backfire

2

: to have a result opposite to what was planned

their plans backfired