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
As a team, the Celtics did not make a 3-pointer in the final 15-plus minutes of game time, misfiring on their final nine attempts from beyond the arc.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 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
His opening goal, five minutes before half-time, was the spark that a misfiring Chelsea side had required and a crisp, left-foot finish from 20 yards out effectively took the contest away from the home team.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Mayfield completed his first six passes before misfiring on a cross-field, 13-yard toss to Payne Durham, who was wide open in the end zone.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Mayfield completed his first six passes before misfiring on a cross-field, 13-yard toss to Payne Durham, who was wide open in the end zone.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026
Your intuition might be misfiring!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 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
His opening goal, five minutes before half-time, was the spark that a misfiring Chelsea side had required and a crisp, left-foot finish from 20 yards out effectively took the contest away from the home team.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Mayfield completed his first six passes before misfiring on a cross-field, 13-yard toss to Payne Durham, who was wide open in the end zone.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Mayfield completed his first six passes before misfiring on a cross-field, 13-yard toss to Payne Durham, who was wide open in the end zone.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026
Your intuition might be misfiring!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfiring
Verb
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While other clubs are scrambling in the wake of a failing cable network, the Dodgers’ own TV situation has been relatively stable.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
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The state has sent Dole four notices of deficiency about the dam since 2009 and five years ago fined the company $20,000 for failing to address safety deficiencies on time, according to records.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Just weeks after Congress appropriated 2026 funds for NIH, the administration is already stalling their release.—
Jenna Norton,
STAT,
12 Mar. 2026
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To protect these fragile machines, developers are supposed to invest in expensive battery storage or grid backups, ultimately driving up production costs and stalling the transition to affordable green fuel.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Searches for the missing workers began late Friday after officials deployed unmanned firefighting robots to cool the structure and conducted a safety inspection.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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More questions for Connie and Austin Herbst Gary Herbst went missing in 2013.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfiring. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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