as in collapses
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 backfires
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
This often backfires, triggering gaslighting, denial, or escalation.
—Shadé Zahrai, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
But according to Button, this shortcut often backfires.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 2 Jan. 2026
But the plan backfires when the clerk falls for the top executive's current girlfriend.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Dec. 2025
When her grandmother’s old love spell backfires, Dassy is unexpectedly juggling four suitors from her past and present.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with a wealthy venture capitalist, Jeff (Seth Rogen), but the plan backfires when Arj is convinced his newfound wealth has, in fact, solved all his problems.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
That plan almost always backfires, though.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
This often backfires, triggering gaslighting, denial, or escalation.
—Shadé Zahrai, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
But according to Button, this shortcut often backfires.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 2 Jan. 2026
But the plan backfires when the clerk falls for the top executive's current girlfriend.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Dec. 2025
When her grandmother’s old love spell backfires, Dassy is unexpectedly juggling four suitors from her past and present.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with a wealthy venture capitalist, Jeff (Seth Rogen), but the plan backfires when Arj is convinced his newfound wealth has, in fact, solved all his problems.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfires
Verb
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The trailer wastes little time establishing its pressure-cooker premise, quickly barricading five teenagers inside their high school as their hometown collapses into chaos.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Jan. 2026
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Emergency crews work around the clock, but can only restore power for hours daily as high demand immediately collapses the fragile grid system.—
Vasilisa Stepanenko,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
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Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the height of the 2025 fire season, the Salinas Fire Department shared a photo of Harry with firefighters alongside Cruz and Taffy, therapy dogs who support crews responding to wildfires and other emergencies.—
Erin Hill,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Southern California is prone to different types of disasters from strong winds, earthquakes, floods and wildfires.—
Amy Johnson,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Their outings have included beach bonfires and food distributions.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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The outlet noted that the videos appeared to show protesters chanting against the Iranian regime around bonfires as debris littered the streets in Tehran and other areas in the country.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfires. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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