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
Manchester United The disappointment of 2024-25 was somewhat rectified by a summer spent remodelling a misfiring attack.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 May 2026
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
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
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 May 2026
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
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
-
After failing to score with the bases loaded in the third, the Angels pulled away with four runs in the sixth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
The lower-than-normal system voltage from a weak battery, failing alternator, slipping belt or poor electrical connection can affect the electric power steering system.—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Bates County officials said the aircraft failed to reach full power before stalling and crashing near Interstate 49 Business.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
Iran has historically failed to follow through on promises, instead simply stalling and buying time.—
Las Vegas Review-Journal,
Twin Cities,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
His one big lament was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Mexican authorities released missing person flyers for the couple, who lived in Chicago and Oak Park for decades, and moved to Mexico last fall.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Misfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfiring. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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