Synonyms of backfired

backfired

verb

past tense of backfire

as in collapsed

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

• collapsed
• flopped
• boomeranged
• folded
• struggled
• floundered
• slipped
• waned
• flunked
• washed out
• slumped
• declined

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• succeeded
• flourished
• prospered
• thrived

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of backfired

Reds manager Terry Francona ordered Ferguson to intentionally walk Dominic Canzone to load the bases and face Raleigh, but the decision totally backfired. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Toyota still isn't interested in making a rolling smartphone with a steering wheel attached, an approach which has backfired for other automakers. — New Atlas, 20 July 2026

Arriving at their new studio, Nacksving in Gothenburg, with almost no material prepared, Åkerfeldt committed to writing his songs the night before each recording session, a process which—big surprise—backfired immediately. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026

France’s exclusion of the UK from the Security Action for Europe defence program already backfired. — Galip Dalay, Time, 7 July 2026

Parliament's attempt to regulate has backfired, creating a more opaque and less controllable environment for youth social media use. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

And again, many of the reforms backfired or proved injudicious, but some of them remain powerful to this day. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

If reinvigorating the Party was Howard’s goal, however, the strategy has backfired spectacularly. — Oscar Schwartz, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

In an attempt to play more of a traditional center role for the Magic, Isaac added weight ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, but the decision, which was made collectively with him and the team, backfired. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026