How to Use backfire in a Sentence

backfire

1 of 2 verb
Definition of backfirenext
Synonyms for backfirenext
  • But that’s backfired in the past: Of the 15Iditarods he’s entered, he’s scratched from seven.
    — Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Mar. 2023
  • Many fear the rules could backfire, allowing poachers to cash in on shark fins and jaws.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023
  • In the end, though, the joke backfires: the book sells, and becomes the most successful thing Monk has ever published.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2024
  • Machado’s stance has also led to praise from Guyana, which could backfire on her.
    — Elias Ferrer Breda, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
  • But some fear that projects connecting west Broward to the coast could backfire, snarling traffic for years.
    — Spencer Norris, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2023
  • But in Gibson’s case, the technique appeared to backfire.
    — Sally H. Jacobs, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023
  • Of course, the plan could also backfire: What if the eight miscreants corrupt the entire flock?
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
  • But new research found that app time limits such as these can backfire.
    — Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2023
  • But there have been instances where April Fools' fakeries have flopped – or worse, backfired.
    — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2023
  • The move backfired when Mitchell’s pass was intercepted by linebacker Ty Jones at the 36.
    — Preps, al, 26 Aug. 2023
  • If the hire acts more like a fan than a journalist, the decision could backfire on Gannett.
    — Maria Sherman, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
  • The company has a hit on its hands (for now, at least), but the experiment could backfire.
    — James Vincent, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2023
  • One such example of a tax cut that backfired occurred in Kansas over a decade ago.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2024
  • But knowing the difference between the right and wrong players to pay is a skill, and choosing wrong can backfire.
    — Dallas News, 13 Feb. 2023
  • But the same features that get users talking about books and authors can also backfire.
    — Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, 27 June 2023
  • Just remember that pulling out of the stock market, or paring back, could backfire.
    — Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 7 May 2023
  • The ratio backfired for Commenter B, and everyone looking at the comments saw it and knows it. P.S.
    — Stacey Grant, Seventeen, 6 May 2023
  • The decision backfired, as Wong hit a down-and-away slider for a ground-ball single into right field.
    — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 12 Aug. 2023
  • Some suggest the methods may backfire by causing more burnout and driving more nurses to quit.
    — Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Apr. 2023
  • The plan backfired, because Wilpon was investing in Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
    — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Tuchel defended his tactics after the decision to switch from a back four to a back three for the first time this season backfired.
    — James Ellingworth, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
  • The takeaway lesson, lawmakers said Tuesday, is that gambling the state budget on the price of oil can backfire.
    — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
  • And yet, the White House has every reason to believe the risk that this maneuver will backfire on Biden is minimal.
    — Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024
  • His desire to lower the hearing's profile appears to have backfired.
    — Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2023
  • But the interview backfired, undercutting the claims of bribery.
    — Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
  • The decision backfired when Kevin Newman lined an opposite-field, two-run single to right field for a 4-3 lead.
    — Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 30 Apr. 2023
  • Despite the 2019 deal backfiring on the club, there is room for the Cowboys to be more aggressive at securing their own talent.
    — Dallas News, 6 Mar. 2023
  • Showing actual gameplay as part of a reveal is a brave move, and one that may have backfired on Marvel Rivals, as the footage didn’t look great.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
  • The strategy backfired when McNerney was asked to enter the race.
    — East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024
  • The focus on job applications appears to have backfired for LinkedIn.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 9 May 2023
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backfire

2 of 2 noun
  • Crews lit backfires on three sides of the fire overnight to limit its spread, said fire Capt.
    — Joseph Serna, latimes.com, 29 June 2017
  • Their property was right on the char line where the state had laid a backfire to stop the wildfire in its tracks.
    — Paige St. John, latimes.com, 10 July 2017
  • But swinging at the first pitch backfires if the hitter cannot put it in play at a decent rate.
    — Matt Gelb, Philly.com, 4 Aug. 2017
  • If spot fires breached the highway, firefighters planned to set a backfire to stop it.
    — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2021
  • Did Shayna's plan to persuade the court to be lenient backfire?
    — CBS News, 23 Apr. 2017
  • But his clever escape backfires as The Republic turns out to be a slave ship bound for Africa.
    — Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 5 Dec. 2019
  • The engine sounds and blasts of sharp exhaust backfire are best heard from inside the cabin.
    — Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 25 Feb. 2022
  • The Reds had a sacrifice bunt call backfire in a tie game against the Colorado Rockies on May 15.
    — Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 18 Sep. 2021
  • When Denker is forced to attempt a broth, which is awful — to the delight of Spratt — his scheming backfires.
    — Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2019
  • But as the parties gear up for midterm elections and beyond, could the sharp questioning backfire on the GOP?
    — ABC News, 27 Mar. 2022
  • Ah, the fateful moment when Joey, crammed in the back seat of a cop car with Ross and Chandler, hears a gunshot (car backfire) and leaps over Ross.
    — Washington Post, 25 May 2021
  • But Smith made the decision backfire when his single made it 2-0.
    — Clark Spencer, miamiherald, 8 June 2018
  • If its wager backfires, everyday low prices will be where Walmart least wants it: in the stock price.
    — Charley Grant, WSJ, 30 Mar. 2018
  • Leehmann thought fire managers were waiting too long to set the backfire on Forest Service land.
    — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2021
  • At a certain point, though, the reward of opposing Sanders is worth the risk of seeing an attack backfire.
    — Jay Heflin, Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2020
  • Miles Zaremski, 73, was about a block away from the shooting and said he also, at first, thought the sound was a backfire or a firecracker.
    — New York Times, 4 July 2022
  • To this point, Kendall has been reluctant to play along with their idea, but Matsson’s approach backfires, and puts Kendall on board with his good pal Stewy.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2023
  • Can this rah-rah rhetoric backfire and become a gag-inducer?
    — George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2021
  • And, avoiding breakfast for the sake of a larger meal later in the day typically backfires.
    — Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 23 Nov. 2023
  • But hoping to achieve you out of their worry almost always backfires.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 11 May 2023
  • Logitech has also designed the K380 keys with an ample amount of travel and a nice backfire from each keypress.
    — Jacob Krol, CNN Underscored, 7 July 2020
  • Stopped our show tonight due to a motorcycle backfire that was mistaken for a bomb or a shooting.
    — CBS News, 7 Aug. 2019
  • This attempt at extortion backfires in a way that could only happen to Greg.
    — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, 2 Sep. 2019
  • China isn’t the only country to see some of its virus assistance backfire in Europe.
    — Andrea Dudik, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2020
  • Could attacking backbench members of the House GOP backfire?
    — Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022
  • That decision backfires, with Kora on hand to channel her friends' shock and fear into anger and a willingness to fight back.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023
  • When Holly's attempt to deal with the haters backfires, Holly wonders if some topics are off limits.
    — Michelle Krupa, CNN, 3 Nov. 2019
  • 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, 12 Aug. 2019
  • The enchantment, however, backfires halfway through and now the siblings have to journey across the land to find the items needed to fully restore their dead father.
    — Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2019
  • But the information drop was an epic backfire and helped spawn opposition groups that exist to this day.
    — Jason Daley, Discover Magazine, 2 Oct. 2011

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backfire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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