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
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 4 Feb. 2026
There were issues with intake manifold leaks, exhaust manifold cracking, coolant leaks, engine misfires due to corrosion, and water in the spark plug holes.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
As Wiener, the show’s curator, walks me through, her narration inevitably turns into a litany of the artist’s almosts, misfires, and losses.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 4 Feb. 2026
There were issues with intake manifold leaks, exhaust manifold cracking, coolant leaks, engine misfires due to corrosion, and water in the spark plug holes.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
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 Pentagon is reportedly planning for the possibility of sustained weeks-long operations against Iran if diplomacy fails and the president opts to attack.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
If Congress fails to take any action before insolvency hits, Social Security benefits would be paid only with revenue that comes in.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just hours after bombs began raining down on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, two FBI agents arrived unannounced at Nikki Nojima Louis’ home in Seattle’s Japantown.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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On Tuesday morning, Russian planes dropped seven powerful glide bombs on Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, killing an 11-year-old girl and her mother, according to regional chief Vadym Filashkin.—
EMMA BURROWS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If his progress stalls out, this team is in trouble.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
There is often community resistance that stalls the building of homes.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But the company also notched some notable flops.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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If, on the other hand, the movie flops, Jeff Bezos better start looking into $400 million airliners.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The city of Malibu sued the state and the city and county of Los Angeles and other entities on Wednesday, accusing them of various failures that led to the start and proliferation of the Palisades fire that destroyed hundreds of Malibu homes along with municipal facilities and infrastructure.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Federal regulators are shutting down more than 550 commercial driving schools nationwide after finding unqualified instructors, inadequate testing and other safety failures.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes things are too good to be true or simply don't work, but there are nuggets of gold among the duds.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
26 Jan. 2026
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This latest stretch all came on the heels of following up one of the best wins — not just of the season, but statistically in franchise history — in Oklahoma City with that pair of duds at home against Toronto and Indiana.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
Noun
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While Scarry’s books present such catastrophes with bright colors and good humor, Gomez undermines this cheer by superimposing on the mural a nearly all-black painting of a desolate tent encampment in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton fire.—
Sharon Mizota,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfires. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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