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
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
As soon as Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos misfired on a final-second heave into the end zone, the Cavaliers’ faithful immediately rushed onto the field.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
And there was Nix’s misfire on a damning fourth-quarter go-ball to Courtland Sutton, when the quarterback had his go-to man streaking free on a third-and-10 … only to chuck it just past his fingertips.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
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Verb
Perhaps most frustrating, two Johnson attempts to dig into his trick bag misfired.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
As soon as Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos misfired on a final-second heave into the end zone, the Cavaliers’ faithful immediately rushed onto the field.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
Rocha shot Vasquez three times with an AR-15, including two misfires, during a traffic stop on July 19, 2022, after being pulled over for expired tags.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
And there was Nix’s misfire on a damning fourth-quarter go-ball to Courtland Sutton, when the quarterback had his go-to man streaking free on a third-and-10 … only to chuck it just past his fingertips.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 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 5 Oct. 2025.
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