as in to collapse
to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up thinking that everyone had forgotten her birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forest fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples of backfire in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples on the Web
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Tariff hikes could backfire Trump has proposed sweeping tariffs of up to 20% on all $3 trillion of US imports.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
Daniel Silverman, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2024
An old car backfires, then the sky is full of crows.
—Dobby Gibson, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for backfire 
Verb
Building Bridges With Stakeholders Crypto's adversarial stance toward regulators and traditional institutions often backfired.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Tariff hikes could backfire Trump has proposed sweeping tariffs of up to 20% on all $3 trillion of US imports.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Of course, the worry that U.S. pressure might fail—or backfire—has not been the only impediment to Washington seeking to exert more influence over Netanyahu’s government and its behavior.
—Daniel Silverman, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2024
An old car backfires, then the sky is full of crows.
—Dobby Gibson, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for backfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfire
Verb
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It was reported that a man was trapped under a tractor after a bridge collapsed on the property, which was in unincorporated Woodstock.Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 4 Nov. 2024
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The Democrats’ best hope may be that Trump’s minuscule battleground state leads will collapse on contact with the fearsome Harris turnout machine.W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The following year, a series of sequels green-lit by Chapek—including Ant-Man, The Little Mermaid, and Indiana Jones—flopped badly, leaving the entertainment giant reeling.Michael del Castillo, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
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Partly because the first iteration, the Ray-Ban Stories, categorically flopped.Victoria Song, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2024
Noun
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This wildfire problem is intertwined with a legal, regulatory, and political process, so any definitive conclusions could take years.Bill Stone, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
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The National Interagency Fire Center said 21 large wildfires are active nationally, and current fires have burned 883,318 acres.Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Save on patio heaters to dine al fresco into the fall and winter and bonfire pits for cozy, chilly nights.Kaitlin Gates, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024
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Each night, Whispering Glen hosts the local Moon Revelry festival, where Sims can swim under the moonlight, share stories at a bonfire, and dance.Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Crackling campfires, creaking wood stoves, the smell of good food and drink alongside autumn’s finest foliage created a multi-sensory backdrop.Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
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The film dramatically recreates many terrifyingly visceral details of war: blood congealing on faces facing a campfire, birds devouring the eyes of a corpse, a woman walking into a fire that would consume her.Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near backfire
Cite this Entry
“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfire. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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