as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in catastrophe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2025
Curry, who rarely had an inch to breathe because of Sacramento’s traps and zone defense, misfired on a deep try with 90 seconds left, leading to foul shots on the other end to give Sacramento a two-possession edge.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
The gunshots in the first episode certainly don’t sound like misfires.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
Harris misfired on a pair of free throws with KU up six in the closing moments of a 92-86 double overtime loss to Houston.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2025
Curry, who rarely had an inch to breathe because of Sacramento’s traps and zone defense, misfired on a deep try with 90 seconds left, leading to foul shots on the other end to give Sacramento a two-possession edge.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
Many in the comments could relate to roommate frustration, which often manifests in similar ways—as simple household tasks leading to disastrous misfires.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
The gunshots in the first episode certainly don’t sound like misfires.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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The creator used the example of Pop The Balloon dating shows, which became a phenomenon in 2024 but failed to use branding to insulate itself from copycats, costing them name recognition and market share, as a result.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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The country singer previously featured in December 2020, two months after he was dropped from an episode after failing to take Covid precautions on a night out.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The pizza had a solid undercarriage with a little flop but stayed firm when bent at the crust.—
Jamie Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2025
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This is a fairly low rate of production even by the standards of the Apple Vision Pro, which has widely been viewed as a flop.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Collins miscarried her pregnancy in last week’s episode, and some significant personal things happen to various doctors and nurses later on.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2025
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Remember, at the end of the one o’clock hour, Heather miscarried in the bathroom.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Note that not a single member involved in the texting fiasco, including at least one top official who appears to have participated while traveling in Russia, was sensible enough to question their collective lack of operational security.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2025
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And to be clear: Butler deserves far more of the blame for his fiasco, because of his deplorable behavior in his final months with the Heat.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Simmons’ attempts to go beyond her associate’s degree were stalled by the demands of raising her young children.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2025
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Alibaba’s share price was near record lows, growth was stalling amid intensifying competition, management changes were coming thick and fast, and Beijing was still closely scrutinizing the company.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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To prevent roadside bomb ambushes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Americans learned to get ahead of the problem and hunt down the men who built and distributed the bombs.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Lives lost or forever changed from combat happens to all wounded regardless of skin color, bullets and bombs are not sensitive to color of skin as is President Donald Trump. — Kenny Braitman, Frostburg Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Last season was a dud — Maryland’s second under .500 season in three years.—
Sam Cohn,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2025
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More news: Bulls Championship Banners Damaged by Pyrotechnics of Metal Band Disturbed However, due to injuries on the Lakers' side of things, the game could be a dud.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some of those locations are likely to see 4 to 8 inches of rain, and this will lead to widespread flooding, mudslides and road washouts.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
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Rohit Sharma’s team are the only unit that have gained three wins from three, although there have been three washouts in the tournament which has prevented South Africa and the Baggy Greens from the possibility of matching them.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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