as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in catastrophe
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The Celtics fell into an early 11-4 hole while misfiring on seven of their first nine shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Even the Matthew Tkachuk trade, which seemed like a win initially for the Flames, now looks like a misfire with the way things have gone for Jonathan Huberdeau.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
Linscott said the researchers at first suspected their computer modelling misfired.
—Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The Celtics fell into an early 11-4 hole while misfiring on seven of their first nine shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
Noun
While such reports by Muddy Waters and others have in the past proved devastating, this one appears to be a misfire.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Even the Matthew Tkachuk trade, which seemed like a win initially for the Flames, now looks like a misfire with the way things have gone for Jonathan Huberdeau.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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It has been cited seven times by the AQMD since 2012 for such things as failing to report breakdowns and failing to maintain a system that measures and records temperatures.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The company was formed in the aftermath of 9/11 to sell terrorism and catastrophe property insurance.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
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Then there were climate catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina, the normalization of active shooter drills at their schools and a worldwide pandemic.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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This was done using Sterile Fly Technique, which involves breeding millions of male flies in specialized facilities, sterilizing them with gamma radiation, then dropping them from the air like bombs.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
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Recent years have seen several high-profile bomb and other attacks in Moscow linked to Russia's ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which began in February 2022.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Hamel became pregnant in October 2025 and miscarried, and her sister became pregnant soon after and also miscarried.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
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Goodman miscarried multiple times, and lost at least one child in infancy.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Flip-flops are an obvious summer staple, but Hadid’s black leather pair is such a versatile pick.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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Flip-flops are widely believed to be a poor pick for arch support—but the Clarks Breeze Sea Sandals prove that notion incorrect.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The cracks in the Kremlin’s consensus became apparent this spring, as Russian advances in eastern Ukraine stalled.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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Its Senate sponsor, Chicago Democrat Ram Villivalam, acknowledged more work was needed without specifying what stalled the bill.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Listen to Forte recall his fringe fiasco in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Still, even if Team Blue will likely win in the end, the California governor’s race has been a fiasco for Democrats from the start—and in ways that reflect an ongoing dysfunction that has become a feature of the party in recent years.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Semiconductor maker Texas Instruments has introduced a new battery monitoring chip designed to give electric vehicles and energy storage systems earlier warning of battery failures while reducing the number of components required inside battery packs.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
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Nothing majorly dramatic happens, no one flames out in the kitchen, no dish is an absolute failure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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