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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forest fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of backfire
The Hill, 11 Mar. 2025
Ford made good on his threat, but his criticism backfired and ended up more damaging to Ford than to Wilson.
—Tevi Troy, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025
Attempts to adopt best practices without risk-taking and struggle backfire.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backfire
Verb
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are cautious about blocking the funding bill, fearing a government shutdown could backfire on them politically.
—The Hill, 11 Mar. 2025
Ford made good on his threat, but his criticism backfired and ended up more damaging to Ford than to Wilson.
—Tevi Troy, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
There is a heaviness to the proceedings, which makes sense in regards to the subject matter here and also typically works in favor of a thriller, but some of the super-seriousness built into this show backfires.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025
Attempts to adopt best practices without risk-taking and struggle backfire.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfire
Verb
-
Permafrost acts as nature’s foundation in the Arctic, providing structural stability for landscapes that would otherwise collapse.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Those mortgages were then bundled into complex financial products that collapsed when homeowners started defaulting on their loans.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Kraven the Hunter — Sony Marvel’s box office flop starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe — arrives on Netflix this week.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Gaga played Harley Quinn in the DC movie, which flopped at the box office and was panned by critics.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in mitigating the risk of wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Firefighters have managed to knock down wildfires in Westhampton Beach, NY, gateway to the Hamptons on New York‘s Long Island, but dry and windy conditions continue to keep the risk level elevated.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Each week, host Mark L. Walberg sits down with the men and women separately at a bonfire, where they will be shown out-of-context clips of what their significant other has been up to at their temporary home.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Court records showed that, on Oct. 5, 2020, White and two other individuals attacked a 28-year-old man during a bonfire in the woods near Ravenswood Trail in East Lyme.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Ice cream flavors include campfire s'mores, peanut butter Oreo, and blueberry pie.—
McKenzie Rankin,
Axios,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The game is split into night and day cycles, where the danger of the journey melts into campfire talk at night and exchanging stories with other travelers.—
Megan Farokhmanesh,
WIRED,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfire. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share