backfire 1 of 2

verb

ˈbak-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce backfire (audio)
Definition of backfirenext
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

backfire

2 of 2

noun

as in forest fire

Related 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
Verb
The decision backfired, as Rams kicker Harrison Mevis’s 48-yard game-winning field goal attempt was blocked by defensive end Greg Rousseau — much to the relief of Cook. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS VIRAL VENDETTA — Kelly Clarkson's $15K 'Pretty Woman' shopping feud could backfire. — FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
No, the backfire here would come from the little fact that this campaign will be promoting California just as the governor of our fair state begins in earnest his own campaign to become president of the United States. — Larry Wilson, Oc Register, 14 Mar. 2026 To call this a TABOR backfire would be an understatement for the ages. — Sean Camacho, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for backfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfire
  1. collapse
  2. forest fire
  3. flop
  4. wildfire
  5. bonfire
  6. campfire
Verb
  • Flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall in the city of Limoges, in central France, causing its roof to collapse and nearly destroying the building.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The students who stepped forward when their teacher collapsed playing basketball in Michigan illustrate what becomes possible when CPR skills are taught before they are needed.
    — Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapse
Noun
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire
Verb
  • But no matter where your opinion falls on that particular spectrum, the film seems destined to flop upon its initial release before being reclaimed as a cult classic over the next quarter century.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The notorious Grand Theft Auto 6 leaker seems to be hitting pause after the group’s newest effort to rake in funds appears to have flopped.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of flop
Noun
  • This drastic change of faith comes after Crystal and his wife Janice Crystal (née Goldfinger) lost their 1930s ranch house in the Palisades wildfire in January 2025.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The effect of wildfires on foliage are also little understood, says William Keeton, a forest ecologist at the University of Vermont.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of wildfire
Noun
  • The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That night, bonfires were set for a party that lasted into the morning.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bonfire
Noun
  • The crew decamped to Joshua Tree, jamming around a campfire and recording in a makeshift studio in their Airbnb.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Look for notes of black pepper, vanilla, citrus, and maple over an assertive, smoky base made up of flavors like iodine, seaweed, campfire, and licorice, and just a touch of heat on the finish at 46 percent ABV.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of campfire

Browse Nearby Words

backers
backfire
backfired
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Cite this Entry

“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfire. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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