misfires 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of misfire
as in fails
to go wrong their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

misfires

2 of 2

noun

plural of misfire
as in bombs

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of misfires
Verb
The shapeshifting director, whose credits range from the Oscar-winning romance Call Me by Your Name to the horror remake Suspiria, had worked with the company regularly, on commercial smashes (Challengers) and misfires (After the Hunt) alike. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 However, if Winston misfires his way into, say, a two-game losing streak, the coach could get antsy and try to discover in McCarthy what his brother, Jim, found at Michigan. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Pollsters approach this year’s midterm elections dogged by high-profile misfires in recent elections while facing challenges from brash rivals intent on reshaping the landscape of political forecasts. — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 An agent that misfires books the wrong shipment or approves the wrong invoice. — Emily Lewis-Pinnell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Kennedy misfires Many of Kennedy's claims so far on autism have not withstood scientific scrutiny. — Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Ackman’s misfires, though, have been offset by some prescient investments in the face of black swan events like the subprime mortgage crisis and COVID, cementing his reputation as one of the shrewdest and most daring risk-takers on Wall Street. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 July 2026 But the Raiders organization is rife with quarterback misfires in its recent history. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026 Sig Sauer faces a class action suit over claims that its P320 pistol misfires. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfires
  1. fails
  2. bombs
  3. stalls
  4. flops
  5. miscarries
  6. failures
  7. misses
  8. duds
Verb
  • Jewelry is the gift that never fails, and this year's ready-to-wrap sparklers are certain to be cherished for a lifetime.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The man suffers an allergic reaction, Allan’s amateur attempt at first aid fails and the client dies.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fails
Noun
  • Monday's attacks on a shelter and former school with bunker-busting bombs came as people were lined up for aid in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Special tools were then used to carry out the delicate operation, and extra caution was exercised to avoid any vibrations while approaching the wreck that may set off the unexploded bombs still inside the wreck.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of bombs
Verb
  • Paying Down Data Debt Without Halting AI The mistake most organizations make is treating data debt paydown as a two-year infrastructure project that stalls the AI road map.
    — Gopichand Mannava, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This process stalls improvements for years.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of stalls
Noun
  • Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 personal fouls called resulting in 71 free throws.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Notable names in this batch include billionaire Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy and tokenization service Securitize, both of which have been public market flops, but not outright debacles.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • Just after a third pregnancy also miscarries, Aje meets a young woman named Mayra in a hospital waiting room and the two get talking.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of miscarries
Noun
  • While Shelby was clearly an exceptional candidate, his success was largely predicated on your failures.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Obstacles, wind, sensor errors, or other system failures can prevent it from completing the maneuver safely.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of failures
Verb
  • There were a lot of swings and misses trying to stop Sims on Saturday.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Three weeks later, two of those deals slip to next quarter, and the company misses its number.
    — Greg Genung, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of misses
Noun
  • There are no duds in the accommodation line-up, but for longer stays, the Ocean House or Bay House suites are the ones to book.
    — Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Visitors looking to load up their carry-on with designer duds will find an abundance of department stores and luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, and Dover Street Market just a stone’s throw away.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of duds

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Cite this Entry

“Misfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfires. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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