back·fire
ˈbak-ˌfī(-ə)r 
backfired; backfiring; backfires
1
: to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
their plans backfired
2
: to make or undergo a backfire
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
Examples of backfire in a Sentence
Verb
my plan to throw her a surprise party backfired when she ended up thinking that everyone had forgotten her birthday
Recent Examples on the Web
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Additionally, any serious attempt to destroy Yemeni Khat production could ultimately backfire.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
But their attempts to address more fundamental corruption backfire; many interpret their pragmatic cooperation with the government as carrying water for Juan Orlando Hernández, a strongman president later exposed as a drug trafficker who is now serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. penitentiary.
—Katherine Corcoran, New York Times, 20 May 2025
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Verb
The system has served Illinois consumers reasonably well over the decades, and hard-line regulatory approaches have been shown to backfire in other parts of the country, most notably California.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Additionally, any serious attempt to destroy Yemeni Khat production could ultimately backfire.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
This is exactly what happened when an interview designed to hype up AEW turned into a PR backfire for all involved.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
But their attempts to address more fundamental corruption backfire; many interpret their pragmatic cooperation with the government as carrying water for Juan Orlando Hernández, a strongman president later exposed as a drug trafficker who is now serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. penitentiary.
—Katherine Corcoran, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backfire
Cite this Entry
“Backfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backfire. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backfire
1 of 2 noun
back·fire
-ˌfī(ə)r
1
: a fire that is set to check the spread of a forest fire or a grass fire by burning off a strip of land ahead of it
2
: a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
backfire
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a backfire
2
: to have a result opposite to what was planned
their plans backfired
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