mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r 
misfired; misfiring; misfires
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
mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r
ˈmis-ˌfī(-ə)r
1
: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
2
: something that misfires
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
Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Tuli Tuipulotu’s rush forced Patrick Mahomes to misfire on a long one.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Human subject matter experts can correct AI misfires, significantly boosting model accuracy and resilience.
—Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
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Verb
Sabalenka closed it out on her serve when the big-hitting Anisimova also misfired on her forehand.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Tuli Tuipulotu’s rush forced Patrick Mahomes to misfire on a long one.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
The stakes are getting higher by the day for the French Oscar committee, especially after the misfires of the last couple years.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Human subject matter experts can correct AI misfires, significantly boosting model accuracy and resilience.
—Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfire. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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