as in failing
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
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Recent Examples of misfiring
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
After a curious Euro 2024, where Les Bleus went out in the semi-finals having scored only three goals from open play (two of which were own goals), head coach Didier Deschamps used the subsequent Nations League campaign to recalibrate his misfiring attack.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Omega-3 fatty acids work by preventing the inflammatory response from misfiring, per Koff.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026
While Heinrich ponders the misfiring neurons in the brain of a mass shooter, Jack’s pursuit of Mink—a character whose skin color and ambiguous ethnicity Jack remarks on repeatedly—leads him directly into the urban teeth of the War on Drugs.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Medication can help but the main treatment is ablation, when doctors thread catheters to the heart to burn misfiring tissue.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Then came the shot the crowd had been waiting for as the Pioneer had been misfiring all night from 3-point land.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2026
Given Young’s music centers around modern, misfiring romance, the statement was unexpected.
—Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Initially, speculation swirled online that the blast at the school could have been caused by misfiring Iranian air defenses, as the IRGC tried to repel incoming air strikes.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
After a curious Euro 2024, where Les Bleus went out in the semi-finals having scored only three goals from open play (two of which were own goals), head coach Didier Deschamps used the subsequent Nations League campaign to recalibrate his misfiring attack.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Omega-3 fatty acids work by preventing the inflammatory response from misfiring, per Koff.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026
While Heinrich ponders the misfiring neurons in the brain of a mass shooter, Jack’s pursuit of Mink—a character whose skin color and ambiguous ethnicity Jack remarks on repeatedly—leads him directly into the urban teeth of the War on Drugs.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Medication can help but the main treatment is ablation, when doctors thread catheters to the heart to burn misfiring tissue.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Then came the shot the crowd had been waiting for as the Pioneer had been misfiring all night from 3-point land.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2026
Given Young’s music centers around modern, misfiring romance, the statement was unexpected.
—Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Initially, speculation swirled online that the blast at the school could have been caused by misfiring Iranian air defenses, as the IRGC tried to repel incoming air strikes.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfiring
Verb
-
The president pressed Nigeria last fall to take more action against terrorism, accusing the country of failing to deal with rampant violence against Christians.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates did not share as bullish of an outlook in their Global Port Tracker, indicating forward demand is weakening due to stalling retail re-stocking efforts.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
-
The dividend has now remained stagnant since mid-2024, stalling at less than half of its pre-COVID level.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Is an important event missing from this date?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
You could be forgiven for missing the name.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfiring. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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