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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
On the next sequence, after Traoré misfired, Devin Carter hit a six-footer to cap a 7-0 run.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025
By Deborah Brennan, CalMatters California lawmakers are demanding answers after a live fire demonstration over Camp Pendleton Saturday led to a misfire that rained shrapnel on Interstate 5, striking two California Highway Patrol vehicles.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
And research into why the brain misfires.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
On the next sequence, after Traoré misfired, Devin Carter hit a six-footer to cap a 7-0 run.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Bill Self had seen enough after watching sophomore big man Flory Bidunga misfire on three inside shots and also fail to prevent a pair of inside buckets in the early moments of Kansas’ Players Era opener against Notre Dame on Monday at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025
By Deborah Brennan, CalMatters California lawmakers are demanding answers after a live fire demonstration over Camp Pendleton Saturday led to a misfire that rained shrapnel on Interstate 5, striking two California Highway Patrol vehicles.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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Minnesota had another power-play chance after Rantanen's slashing penalty with 2 1/2 minutes left, but failed to score even with an extra skater after pulling Filip Gustavsson out of the net.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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But that figure predates major advances in cleanup technology and fails to account for available state and federal funding.—
Charles Rilli,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The suspects charged with igniting homemade bombs outside Gracie Mansion last month were indicted Tuesday.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Instead of using explosives, most attacks used carbon fiber bombs that incapacitated the facilities instead of destroying them.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gutierrez had been held hostage alongside two of his nieces, one of whom was three months pregnant and subsequently miscarried.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Women infected during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, are more likely to miscarry or have a stillbirth.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Five of those flops have come in regulation, and there are only four games left in the regular season.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
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Commentary and opinions LA28’s first Olympics ticket drop flops, leaving locals locked out of nearby events, writes news and culture critic Lorraine Ali.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the vehicle sat stalled, Davin Smith drove a maroon Honda CRV into the back of it, causing both the Honda and the cargo in the big rig to catch fire.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
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That work has stalled due to limited funding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And then there was the Byju’s fiasco.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
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To hear the critics’ version of events, an unprovoked and unnecessary attack on Iran, launched at Israel’s behest, is already a foreign-policy fiasco that has put the global economy at risk without any clear objective or endgame.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Eno understood that creative blocks are almost always a failure of perspective, not a failure of talent, and sometimes failure can even be an important part of the process overall.—
Jennifer Sodini,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
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The agency said the failure could reduce the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The rain will not be a washout, but rather a series of brief showers continuing through the morning hours.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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After 48 years of unsuccessful politicking, one might be tempted to call the idea of indexing capital gains a certified washout.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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