as in fails
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
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Recent Examples of misfires
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
After returning to form last year at the Thanksgiving box office with a mega franchise in Moana 2 after post-Covid misfires Wish and Strange World, Disney has no plans to drop the ball.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
As the moon and Mercury clash, your intuition misfires.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
In short, Nix often grounds his feet into the turf when he's afforded a clean pocket, doesn't appear to generate much momentum, and misfires because of it.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
To begin with, the company’s unprovoked faceplant was, if nothing else, one of the biggest public relations misfires in recent corporate history.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump takes control of Washington police as liberal anchor's superhero mockery misfires.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a bid to make Curtis jealous, Castor brings home from the nightclub the 20something Omar for an overnight hookup, but that misfires spectacularly.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
After returning to form last year at the Thanksgiving box office with a mega franchise in Moana 2 after post-Covid misfires Wish and Strange World, Disney has no plans to drop the ball.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
As the moon and Mercury clash, your intuition misfires.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
In short, Nix often grounds his feet into the turf when he's afforded a clean pocket, doesn't appear to generate much momentum, and misfires because of it.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
To begin with, the company’s unprovoked faceplant was, if nothing else, one of the biggest public relations misfires in recent corporate history.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump takes control of Washington police as liberal anchor's superhero mockery misfires.
—FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfires
Verb
-
The state’s latest energy plan fails to recognize and remedy this and portends a bleak, costly energy future, not to mention more pollution and higher health care costs.—
Anshul Gupta,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Holly added that any topic related to her wedding never fails to bring tears to her father's eyes.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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If and when American bombs start to fall, Venezuela’s military counterintelligence system will certainly be put to the test.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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The brand is known for its luxurious bath bombs, four of which are included in this set.—
Molly Blanco,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There is often community resistance that stalls the building of homes.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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But, then again, the market is a forward-looking machine with a motor that never stalls out.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Floridians normally wearing flip flops were bundled up to ring in the new year.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
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But what happens when such a bold film flops, both critically and commercially, as Jarmusch’s, alas, did?—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Here were the studs and duds from the 49ers’ brutal, likely season-defining loss.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
4 Jan. 2026
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The show has far more excellent episodes than duds, so choosing our favorite installments wasn't easy.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
An observer of catastrophes, come what may.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Across their nearly 100-year football rivalry, USC and Notre Dame have only paused their annual matchup for global catastrophes like World War II and the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Kayshon Boutte is day-to-day with a hamstring injury, which means New England could push Stefon Diggs outside if Boutte misses any time, allowing Douglas to get more run out of the slot against the Buccaneers this week.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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Saito always misses his cats while hiking.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfires. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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