as in collapsing
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 backfiring
James is one of them, though his kindly attempts to be there for Linda, as amateur repairman and reluctant babysitter, have a way of backfiring, usually on himself.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Why is Trump’s dealmaking backfiring so spectacularly?
—Vivek Viswanathan, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Still, some economists say the administration’s chaotic trade strategy is backfiring in at least two ways.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Propping up unpopular regional governments risks backfiring on Gulf Arab leaders in one of two ways.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
However, with the growth of social media and consumer advocacy, retailers are being more cautious about communications to prevent backfiring, not only from investors and analysts but from their core customer base.
—Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet his effort to divide the West is backfiring.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
But his classics lesson is backfiring.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Others argue that further restrictions risk backfiring, and could prompt Beijing to accelerate efforts to develop domestic alternatives and reduce reliance on American suppliers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Why is Trump’s dealmaking backfiring so spectacularly?
—Vivek Viswanathan, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
Still, some economists say the administration’s chaotic trade strategy is backfiring in at least two ways.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Propping up unpopular regional governments risks backfiring on Gulf Arab leaders in one of two ways.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
However, with the growth of social media and consumer advocacy, retailers are being more cautious about communications to prevent backfiring, not only from investors and analysts but from their core customer base.
—Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet his effort to divide the West is backfiring.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
But his classics lesson is backfiring.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Others argue that further restrictions risk backfiring, and could prompt Beijing to accelerate efforts to develop domestic alternatives and reduce reliance on American suppliers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfiring
Verb
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The rare, direct foreign intervention, which will take the form of a currency swap, is aimed at boosting a collapsing peso and calming market volatility ahead of Argentina’s midterm elections later this month.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Rising delinquency rates among other concerns, recently led to subprime auto lender Tricolor unexpectedly collapsing.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
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Splinter after splinter flopping onto the stone threshold, tsss, tsss, hissing like a nest of vipers.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfiring. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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