mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r 
misfired; misfiring; misfires
1
: to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time
the engine misfired
2
: to fail to fire
the gun misfired
3
: to miss an intended effect or objective
the new ad campaign misfired
mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r
ˈmis-ˌfī(-ə)r
1
: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
2
: something that misfires
Examples of misfire in a Sentence
Verb
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Recent Examples on the Web
Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Malware planted inside trading terminals altered price feeds, triggering high-frequency trading algorithms to misfire.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
But strong new LLMs from Google, and misfires from Meta and OpenAI, are shifting the vibe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The two misfiring forwards, with Pavel Zacha on their left flank, never found their traction.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Malware planted inside trading terminals altered price feeds, triggering high-frequency trading algorithms to misfire.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
Despite the occasional misfire, the off-the-court stuff is mostly in line with other NBA teams, and sometimes better.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
But strong new LLMs from Google, and misfires from Meta and OpenAI, are shifting the vibe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfire. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share