misfire

verb mis·fire \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: misfire in a Sentence

Definition of misfire

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

See misfire defined for English-language learners

See misfire defined for kids

Examples of misfire in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of misfire from the Web

Some privacy experts caution against how the technology could misfire and discriminate against certain passengers, including those with physical disabilities.

— rachel siegel, latimes.com, "Uber wants a patent on tech to help guess if a rider is drunk," 12 June 2018
Harris misfired thrice to walk him, bringing up Benintendi for the game's denouement.

— chandler rome, Houston Chronicle, "Red Sox rough up Will Harris in Astros' loss," 2 June 2018
The rim shrunk for the Warriors in their 12-point fourth quarter, when their 10-point lead disappeared and 15 of their 18 attempts misfired in all (including a combined 2 of 13 shooting from Steph Curry and Kevin Durant).

— sam amick, USA TODAY, "As Rockets even series, Warriors in real trouble for first time since getting Kevin Durant," 23 May 2018
However, the Democrats' deployment of the CRA may misfire since the law is meant to overturn regulations, not the the repeal of regulations, says Randolph May, president of the Free State Foundation.

— mike snider, USA TODAY, "Net neutrality vote in U.S. Senate seeks to overturn FCC's lighter-touch plan," 16 May 2018
The Lanier Law Firm represents plaintiffs caught up in a controversy over whether a class settlement related to misfiring triggers should be approved.

— Bloomberg.com, "How Injured Gun Owners Ended Up at the Center of Remington’s Bankruptcy," 11 Apr. 2018
But instead flexing Russian muscle, the missile badly misfired.

— jake swearingen, Popular Mechanics, "Failure to Launch: Watch a Russian Anti-Submarine Missile Not Do Its Job," 27 July 2015
Matt Duffy laced a single through the right side and McCullers misfired a full-count fastball to Jake Bauers, allowing Wilson Ramos to hit.

— chandler rome, Houston Chronicle, "Lance McCullers thwarts his hometown Rays in Astros' shutout win," 28 June 2018
So when the scherzo movement misfired and required a retake, the audience seemed to care about as much as when a drink spills at a boisterous party, which is to say, not at all.

— jeremy eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "At Rockport, ushering in a new chapter with Tchaikovsky, Golijov, and high spirits," 17 June 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.

First Known Use of misfire

1752

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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misfire Synonyms

Phrases

come a cropper, come to grief, fall flat, fall short;

misfire

noun mis·fire \ ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r , ˈmis-ˌ \

Definition of misfire

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

2 : something that misfires

Recent Examples of misfire from the Web

Despite the misfire, the project remains on schedule, Cranson said.

— paul egan, Detroit Free Press, "I-696 crews pour 2,500 feet of fresh concrete, rip it all up," 19 June 2018
Then again, so is Mickey Rourke, who saw his comeback thwarted somewhat after this misfire, in which Tony Stark is coming to terms with his new gig.

— bill goodykoontz, azcentral, "We rank every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from worst to best," 6 July 2018
Mac McCullough, who has produced the show for the last two decades, and his crew had their hands full with misfires and some that didn’t fire at all.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Liberty fireworks go on despite rain," 5 July 2018
Certain misfires can linger in a player’s mind for years, and that’s likely to be the case for Peru’s Pedro Aquino, who had a shot to give his team a draw with France.

— bruce jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Brazil’s win sweet redemption for Neymar, who finally scores," 22 June 2018
The misfire feels even more meaningful in San Diego.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "World Cup miss stymies traction in San Diego, U.S.," 19 June 2018
Like Padgett, Hahn was careful not to feel too disgruntled after early misfires.

— katherine fitzgerald, azcentral, "Collegiate golfers Wells Padgett and Jordan Hahn lead Southwestern Amateur golf tournament," 15 June 2018
Until now, the work has amounted to little more than do-it-yourself misfires.

— emily baumgaertner, BostonGlobe.com, "As gene editing spreads, risk of biological weapons looms," 16 May 2018
That string of misfires finally ended Wednesday afternoon in a 3-2 victory in St. Louis, but not before things got a bit hairy in the bottom of the ninth.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Counsell not ready to make Hader the closer despite Brewers' ninth-inning challenges," 12 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of misfire

1789

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

MISFIRE Defined for English Language Learners

misfire

verb

Definition of misfire for English Language Learners

of an engine : to fail to work properly because the fuel mixture burns at the wrong time
of a gun : to fail to fire properly : to fail to shoot a bullet
: to fail to have an intended effect : to fail to work properly