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
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Recent Examples of backfired
The overtures backfired, with Sheridan preferring a less corporate approach.
—
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
Not only does closer Díaz have an offseason opt-out, but also all of the team’s midseason bullpen additions — which backfired, anyway — are heading to free agency.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Trump’s tariffs have backfired in numerous ways, including by angering US farmers – a key voting bloc – and creating a rare-earth shortage.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
But that backfired too, turbocharging the country’s technological ascent.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Predictably, the visit backfired.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
In Arizona, the secrecy of data center developers backfired.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC news, 28 Oct. 2025
American fired its former CCO, Vasu Raja, last year after his business-travel strategy backfired and sparked outrage from travel agencies.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2025
Studies showed Musk’s influence actually backfired during the election.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
Not only does closer Díaz have an offseason opt-out, but also all of the team’s midseason bullpen additions — which backfired, anyway — are heading to free agency.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Trump’s tariffs have backfired in numerous ways, including by angering US farmers – a key voting bloc – and creating a rare-earth shortage.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
But that backfired too, turbocharging the country’s technological ascent.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Predictably, the visit backfired.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
In Arizona, the secrecy of data center developers backfired.
—Natalie Kainz, NBC news, 28 Oct. 2025
American fired its former CCO, Vasu Raja, last year after his business-travel strategy backfired and sparked outrage from travel agencies.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2025
Studies showed Musk’s influence actually backfired during the election.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfired
Verb
-
The sofa was so collapsed that getting up from it felt like core strength training.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
And then on Thursday, after most of the show had been written, a man collapsed in the Oval Office, generating an instantly meme-able photograph of the president staring into the camera, looking oblivious to efforts to revive the prone victim at stage left.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Lawrence has been open in past interviews about needing to take a two year break from Hollywood after making 16 movies in six years, a string of which flopped at the box office and only inflamed the public’s negative reception of her.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
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In one second-quarter stretch, Smart checked in, hit a jumper, flopped to draw an offensive foul on Curry, then hooked his arm around Curry’s shoulder and wrestled the Warriors star to the floor, earning him a flagrant 1 foul and prompting a celebration from Horford.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The most blatant of those on Sunday was Kelce converting a great opportunity into a play that boomeranged the other way.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backfired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfired. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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