misfire

verb

mis·fire | \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r

misfired; misfiring; misfires

Definition of misfire

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time the engine misfired

2 : to fail to fire the gun misfired

3 : to miss an intended effect or objective the new ad campaign misfired

misfire

noun

mis·fire | \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r

, ˈmis-ˌ\

Definition of misfire (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire

2 : something that misfires

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about misfire

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Examples of misfire in a Sentence

Verb

their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Following the Lion Air crash, the FAA and Boeing had been expected to roll out a software fix to an automatic flight-control system suspected of misfiring. — Andy Pasztor, WSJ, "The FAA Has No Current Plans to Ground Boeing’s 737 MAX After Deadly Crash," 11 Mar. 2019 Ilsinho turned to shoot, and ended up misfiring the ball to just in front of Sapong. — Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com, "Borek Dockal makes history, Jim Curtin coaches against his mentor, and other Union observations," 28 June 2018 Mobike at first misfired, with bikes that were too heavy for Sydney’s coastal hills and difficult for tall people to ride, a person familiar with the company said. — Mike Cherney, WSJ, "Lime Looks to Peddle Its Bicycles in Australia," 16 Jan. 2019 Boeing is devising a separate software fix to prevent the automated safety system from misfiring and leading to the kind of hazard that overtook the Lion Air flight, according to U.S. government and industry officials. — Ben Otto, WSJ, "Maintenance Lapse Identified as Initial Problem Leading to Lion Air Crash," 25 Dec. 2018 In 15 seasons, Michael Cage, who played for five NBA teams, misfired on all 25 of his three-point attempts. — Jeff Maillet, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Former Bucks player Zaza Pachulia hasn't made an NBA three-pointer in his career ... yet," 21 Feb. 2018 Gonzalez misfired on two extra points and two field-goal attempts, including a 52-yarder in the final seconds that would have forced overtime. — Tom Withers, The Seattle Times, "Kicked aside: Browns try out kickers to replace Gonzalez," 17 Sep. 2018 There was James Neal moments later, misfiring onto a yawning net with goalie Braden Holtby watching helplessly nearby and … PING! — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "After Game 4 Win, the Capitals Are on the Cusp of Finishing Their Story in Stanley Cup Final," 5 June 2018 The Pistons were scoring much too easily for the Rockets to also misfire from the 3-point line. — Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle, "Rockets misfire, defend poorly in loss to Pistons," 6 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The stated goal of Dr. Nesse’s book is to emphasize how natural selection has made the human species susceptible to such misfires and malfunctions. — David P. Barash, WSJ, "‘Good Reasons for Bad Feelings’ Review: Suffering’s Silver Lining," 13 Feb. 2019 Now that the Zumwalt program has become a billion-dollar misfire, the Marines are unlikely to ever get a dedicated naval gunfire platform again. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "As the Final Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer Launches, the Ships’ Fate Remains Unclear," 11 Dec. 2018 These kinds of misfires keep Mary Poppins Returns from truly fulfilling its potential. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Mary Poppins Returns — with a sadder story and forgettable songs," 12 Dec. 2018 What saves this story from feeling like a total misfire is the script’s willingness to scramble your emotional investment. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Creed II is no Creed. But it’s a pretty good Rocky sequel.," 21 Nov. 2018 But Bakish hasn't been able to boost Viacom's share price due to prolonged ratings struggles at key cable networks and box office misfires from Paramount Pictures. — Meg James, latimes.com, "CBS' Leslie Moonves received $69 million in compensation last year; Richard Parsons nominated to serve on board," 6 Apr. 2018 Centuries later, the classical fifth element would inspire another epic but influential scientific misfire: alchemy. — Meg Neal, Popular Mechanics, "The Eternal Quest for Aether, the Cosmic Stuff That Never Was," 19 Oct. 2018 Despite its second-quarter misfire on subscriber growth, the Los Gatos, California, company reported earnings that beat analyst estimates. — Michael Liedtke, The Seattle Times, "Netflix drops dud on Wall St. as subscriber growth flops," 17 July 2018 Yes, shops are seeing engines with problems including rough idle, a drop in fuel economy, misfires and hard starting. — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Drivers can ship your car cross country," 8 July 2018

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