backfire

[ bak-fahyuhr ]

/ ˈbækˌfaɪər /

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verb (used without object), back·fired, back·fir·ing.

(of an internal-combustion engine) to have a loud, premature explosion in the intake manifold.

to bring a result opposite to that which was planned or expected: The plot backfired.

to start a fire deliberately in order to check a forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area in advance of it.

noun

(in an internal-combustion engine) premature ignition of fuel in the intake manifold.

an explosion coming out of the breech of a firearm.

a fire started intentionally to check the advance of a forest or prairie fire.

OTHER WORDS FOR backfire

2 miscarry, boomerang; flop, bomb, wash out.

See synonyms for backfire on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of backfire

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; back² + fire

Words nearby backfire

backer-up, backfall, backfield, backfile, backfill, backfire, backfist, backfit, backflash, backflip, back float

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use backfire in a sentence

Providing the facts decreased concerns about fraud among Democrats, but increased them among Republicans—a classic backfire effect.
The perils of letting social media titans correct misinformation|jakemeth|October 22, 2020|Fortune
Research on the backfire effect is mixed, and some studies suggest it happens rarely.
The perils of letting social media titans correct misinformation|jakemeth|October 22, 2020|Fortune
The Washington Post detailed several other instances of vote-shaming backfires in a 2018 story, including a tweet by Billy Eichner in which he told his bellhop to vote, prompting backlash that forced him to delete the quip.
Poll: College students are ready to call out people who don’t vote|Jerusalem Demsas|October 16, 2020|Vox
That’s where they’re actually creating the new fire that’s with their burnout, the backfire operation.
What the Photos of Wildfires and Smoke Don’t Show You|by Elizabeth Weil and Lisa Larson-Walker|September 21, 2020|ProPublica

Spreading a one-size-fits-all model for girls' education could backfire.
Promoting Girls’ Education Isn’t Enough: Malala Can Do More|Paula Kweskin|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gerald Ford and the swine flu pandemic that never happened in 1976 is a cautionary tale that government action can backfire.
How Presidents Handle Pandemics|Eleanor Clift|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But with Americans fed up with corporate influence, will the move backfire?
The New War on Big Money in Politics|Eleanor Clift|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Overall, taking steps to get pregnant quickly is more likely to pay off than it is to backfire.
The Biggest Myths and Truths About Baby Making|Jean Twenge|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And when that culture still holds onto sexist views of women, even attempts to rectify this imbalance can backfire.
Girls Love Science. We Tell Them Not To.|Tauriq Moosa|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you have to burn off the rubbish, do so in small spots at a time, then backfire toward the center.
The Pony Rider Boys in New England|Frank Gee Patchin
A handful of men were still grouped around Curt, working until the last moment to spread the backfire as far as possible.
Janet Hardy in Radio City|Ruthe S. Wheeler
Well, way uptown on Main Street, a motorcycle did backfire right beside us—and we all jumped and had a good laugh over it.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
It was unusual for a motorcycle to backfire that close together, it seemed like.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
It sounded like a motorcycle backfire at first—the first time we heard it—the first shot.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for backfire

backfire

/ (ˌbækˈfaɪə) /

verb (intr)

(of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system

(of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetratorhis plans backfired on him

to start a controlled fire in order to halt an advancing forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area

noun

(in an internal-combustion engine)

an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust system
a premature explosion in a cylinder or inlet manifold

a controlled fire started to create a barren area that will halt an advancing forest or prairie fire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

backfire

OTHER WORDS FOR backfire

Origin of backfire

Words nearby backfire

Words related to backfire

How to use backfire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for backfire