as in to collapse
to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up thinking that everyone had forgotten her birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forest fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backfire
C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
More from Personal Finance: How to spring-clean your finances
Americans are suffering from ‘sticker shock’ — how to adjust
1 in 5 Americans are ‘doom spending’ — how that can backfire
Most credit cards have a variable rate, which means there’s a direct connection to the Federal Reserve’s benchmark.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Stopping cancer research because cancer prevention training doesn’t always work and sometimes backfires won’t stop cancer.
—H. Colleen Sinclair, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backfire
Verb
The plan backfired: Poyer looked aged while Holland’s battles with injuries limited his ability.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
More from Personal Finance: How to spring-clean your finances
Americans are suffering from ‘sticker shock’ — how to adjust
1 in 5 Americans are ‘doom spending’ — how that can backfire
Most credit cards have a variable rate, which means there’s a direct connection to the Federal Reserve’s benchmark.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
Without a trusted guide, AI efforts stall, hallucinate, or backfire.
—Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Stopping cancer research because cancer prevention training doesn’t always work and sometimes backfires won’t stop cancer.
—H. Colleen Sinclair, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfire
Verb
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The game had barely started when Bentaleb abruptly stopped running, sat down and then collapsed on the ground.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Tommy walks through the burning town and finds Maria, collapsing into her on Main Street, which is littered with dead, human and infected both.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The crop can be harvested at anytime but most leave the bulbs in the ground until the tops decline and flop over.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2025
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The Bali project seems to have flopped, reportedly leaving local construction workers in the lurch.—
Kyle Khan-Mullins,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For journalists who cover natural disasters, here are 3 key things to consider Disaster reporting is crucial for people affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other events.—
Shaun McKinnon,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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Another study found urban lizards were also more responsive to threatening sounds, such as a wildfire or a kestrel.—
Sean Greene,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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If Patagonia’s notorious winds dissipate, there are even nightly bonfires and asado-style barbecues by the sea.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2025
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Watch your kids surf their first wave or learn something entirely new at the Ocean Explorers kids club, and make new family memories together over s’mores beach bonfires.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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My neighborhood smelled like a campfire for several days.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Even with his campfires, Tram could experiment with elegance, refinement and complexity.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfire. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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