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
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
Noun
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
-
And really, if Young fails, Canales fails, too.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Alternatively, a star being ripped apart in TDE could produce a day-long GRB, but this scenario fails to replicate other properties of the GRB 250702B, an explosion that would require a very unusual star being destroyed by an even stranger black hole.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Apart from one shocking death (when Tranter switches from neutralizing bombs up close to eliminating threats with his long-range rifle), the action is entertaining enough in the moment, but not especially memorable.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In 2019, two friends from far north suburban Zion, Edward Schimenti and Joseph Jones, were convicted of attempting to aid the Islamic State terrorist group by providing cellphones to an undercover FBI agent to be used as detonators for bombs.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate, Kevin Costner’s Waterworld, Disney’s John Carter and, well, Cats, are a few major flops that audiences seemed to delight in, even if most people never saw the films themselves.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Stiller recently stopped by The Prof G Pod With Scott Galloway to discuss the breakthroughs, hits, and flops throughout his time in Hollywood.—
Daysia Tolentino,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Out of 23 songs, there’s maybe five or six keepers, buried in way too many duds that drag on forever at three minutes.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
-
This year’s edition of Halloween Horror Nights brought back a few favorites (Friday the 13th, Poltergeist), introduced some new hits (Terrifier, Five Nights at Freddy’s), delivered some solid original mazes (Scarecrow, Monstruos) and offered up a few duds (Fallout, World Wrestling Entertainment).—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While the popular story highlights a federal civil rights victory, a more comprehensive examination reveals the triumph of white resistance, the failures of sustained federal oversight, and the longer history of Black student courage and activism.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Within these settings, members may receive encouragement to share their successes, failures, roadblocks, and takeaways.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The agency expects to hire 8,900 new air traffic controllers by 2028, but because of factors like attrition, retirements and program washouts, this will only result in 1,000 more certified controllers, according to FAA documents.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ugarte then threads the ball to Amad, who misses the target, but is flagged offside anyway.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But if a student misses two of the exams, that probably isn’t the case.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Families that embrace this mindset see setbacks not as catastrophes but as tuition.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The story grabbed him thematically too, given the increasing devastation caused by wildfires and other environmental catastrophes.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misfires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfires. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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