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
Tehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.
—
CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
The result is an eventual cough that produces a sound comparable to a car backfiring through a bag of gelatine.
—Alexis Wilkinson, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
So this scatter gun, almost machine gun, offensive by the Iranians seems to be backfiring.
—Yarden Segev, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
But what strikes me also is that this is backfiring.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, on the opposing sideline, Broncos coach Sean Payton came under fire for a fourth-down call that ended up backfiring.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
And there are hopes that some of the redistricting in Texas, based on a Latino shift, would end up backfiring on Republicans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
This is a backfiring gift to Milei’s opponents.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
The result is an eventual cough that produces a sound comparable to a car backfiring through a bag of gelatine.
—Alexis Wilkinson, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
So this scatter gun, almost machine gun, offensive by the Iranians seems to be backfiring.
—Yarden Segev, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
But what strikes me also is that this is backfiring.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, on the opposing sideline, Broncos coach Sean Payton came under fire for a fourth-down call that ended up backfiring.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
And there are hopes that some of the redistricting in Texas, based on a Latino shift, would end up backfiring on Republicans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
This is a backfiring gift to Milei’s opponents.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfiring
Verb
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A number of buildings were seen collapsing in this wave of strikes on Friday as the death toll continues to rise, an ABC News team in Lebanon observed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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What becomes cheap or free Khosla’s deflationary vision is built on a series of sectors collapsing in cost.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So, is California’s unemployment market slogging along or flopping into a quagmire of job cuts?—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
4 Mar. 2026
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There was indeed something charming about these explosive Muppet looks, but is the woman who can afford Bottega Veneta really flopping around Art Basel, dinner parties and business meetings in such enormous clothes?—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfiring. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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