backfire
verb
back·fire
| \ ˈbak-ˌfī(-ə)r
\
\
backfired;
backfiring;
backfires
Definition of backfire
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
their plans backfired
2
: to make or undergo a backfire
backfire
nounDefinition of backfire (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel mixture in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
2
: a fire started to check an advancing fire by clearing an area
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Examples of backfire in a Sentence
Verb
my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up sobbing that everyone had forgotten her birthdayRecent Examples on the Web: Verb
But The Hunt's premise clearly poked the political bear too aggressively, a move that backfired on Blumhouse. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "‘The Hunt’ Director Says ‘Rush to Judgment’ Got His Film Canceled," 19 Aug. 2019 The New York Police Department soon discovered that backfire from a motorcycle caused the commotion, and all was clear. — Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, "A nation on edge: Spike in mass shooting false alarms has a 'hidden cost' for police, community," 13 Aug. 2019 However, experts agree that the deployment of the military to the streets of Hong Kong could massively backfire on the government, leading to comparisons to the Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989 and potentially crashing the economy. — James Griffiths, CNN, "Beijing says Hong Kong protests 'show signs of terrorism.' If you only watch state media, you probably agree," 13 Aug. 2019 While gun rights advocates argue that the state’s attempts at curbing shootings have backfired and infringed upon constitutional rights, gun control supporters counter that Maryland hasn’t done nearly enough to save lives. — baltimoresun.com, "The two sides of the Maryland gun debate," 9 Aug. 2019 Hospital and health-insurance lobby groups claim that Mr Trump’s price-transparency plan will backfire and prices will rise. — The Economist, "Will transparent pricing make America’s health care cheaper?," 28 June 2019 There’s a risk that the deal could backfire (see Howard, Dwight and his disastrous one-year stint in L.A.) and the Lakers could fork over premium picks to the Pelicans for years to come. — Chris Mannix, SI.com, "The Anthony Davis Trade Is a Win for Rob Pelinka, LeBron and the Lakers," 15 June 2019 Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org, cautions not to take the survey results as evidence that #MeToo backfired. — Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "A few pointers for the 60% of male managers who now say they're uncomfortable mentoring women," 10 June 2019 Typically, the tech giant waits until its big unveiling event in October to show off its newest tech. By officially announcing the phone's features ahead of its release, Google is generating hype on social media that could backfire. — Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY, "Google leaks more info about its Pixel 4, giving you an 'early look' at new tech," 30 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Times Square was sent into a panic about a motorcycle backfire that, many in the crowd assumed, was the latest gunfire in a public place. — Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, "A School-Shooting Hero, Celebrated and Knighted Posthumously," 12 Aug. 2019 If America is looking for a protest anthem to help channel our fear of mass murder, if not mistaken motorcycle backfire, Tears For Fears wrote the lyrics decades ago. — Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, "A motorcycle has now become the sum of our fears: Phillip Morris," 11 Aug. 2019 Panicked pedestrians in New York City fled Times Square on Tuesday night, mistaking a motorcycle's backfire for gunshots. — NBC News, "USA Today's Virginia HQ evacuated amid reports of man with weapon," 7 Aug. 2019 Nearly 3,000 firefighters have been working around the clock, lighting backfires and building a containment line, in an effort to keep the flames at bay. — John Blackstone, CBS News, "Thousands of firefighters battling massive wildfires in western U.S.," 4 July 2018 Here's how Cal Fire is gaining ground in containing the 82,700-acre County Fire Advertisement Cal Fire crews are lighting backfires to contain the massive County Fire in Napa and Yolo counties near Lake Berryessa. — Benjy Egel, sacbee, "County Fire swells to nearly 83,000 acres as firefighters inch closer to containment," 4 July 2018 But Smith made the decision backfire when his single made it 2-0. — Clark Spencer, miamiherald, "It was 1993 all over again as teal-clad Marlins take care of Padres," 8 June 2018 So is talk of a Trump summit with Putin — unless the president bluntly confronts the Russian leader about his cyber espionage in Europe and the U.S. >> READ MORE: Will Trump’s deal-making backfire and embroil U.S. in new wars? — Trudy Rubin, Philly.com, "Trump pummels G-7 democratic allies but loves autocrats | Trudy Rubin," 8 June 2018 If its wager backfires, everyday low prices will be where Walmart least wants it: in the stock price. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Healthy Skepticism About Walmart and Humana," 30 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backfire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for backfire
backfire
verb
English Language Learners Definition of backfire
of an engine or vehicle
: to make a loud sound when fuel is not burned properly
: to have the opposite result of what was desired or expected
backfire
verb
back·fire
| \ ˈbak-ˌfīr
\
\
backfired;
backfiring
Kids Definition of backfire
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to have a result opposite to what was planned
The joke backfired.
2
: to make a loud engine noise caused by fuel igniting at the wrong time
backfire
nounKids Definition of backfire (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a loud engine noise caused by fuel igniting at the wrong time
2
: a fire that is set to stop the spread of a forest fire or a grass fire by burning off a strip of land ahead of it
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