as in failing
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of misfiring
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
The Celtics were far less efficient, misfiring on six of their first seven 3-pointers amid a 4-for-15 start.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 28 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
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
The Celtics were far less efficient, misfiring on six of their first seven 3-pointers amid a 4-for-15 start.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfiring
Verb
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The Florida Justice Association — the trial lawyer lobby — spent millions to stop the reforms Maxwell now blames for failing consumers.—
David Wilson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
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The 2023 jury found the Berkshire utility liable for negligently failing to shut down power lines during a powerful windstorm, contributing to four separate wildfires that caused significant property damage.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lender’s package is designed to give governments enough foreign currency, and quickly enough, to keep essential purchases from stalling, offering a lifeline for some of the world’s most import-dependent nations.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The average retail price to fill up hasn't been this high since August 2022 when Republicans were relentless in their focus on gas prices and successfully took back Congress, stalling the rest of former President Joe Biden's agenda.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Susan Butts Tiffani McInnis endured the typical teenage growing pains under the shadow of her mother's missing person investigation.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfiring. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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