as in collapsing
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
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Recent Examples of backfiring
Still, some economists say the administration’s chaotic trade strategy is backfiring in at least two ways.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Propping up unpopular regional governments risks backfiring on Gulf Arab leaders in one of two ways.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
However, with the growth of social media and consumer advocacy, retailers are being more cautious about communications to prevent backfiring, not only from investors and analysts but from their core customer base.
—Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet his effort to divide the West is backfiring.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
But his classics lesson is backfiring.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Others argue that further restrictions risk backfiring, and could prompt Beijing to accelerate efforts to develop domestic alternatives and reduce reliance on American suppliers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025
Hasen explained that attempts to redraw congressional maps this aggressively sometimes end up backfiring and actually helping the minority party.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Propping up unpopular regional governments risks backfiring on Gulf Arab leaders in one of two ways.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
However, with the growth of social media and consumer advocacy, retailers are being more cautious about communications to prevent backfiring, not only from investors and analysts but from their core customer base.
—Shelley E. Kohan, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Yet his effort to divide the West is backfiring.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
But his classics lesson is backfiring.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Others argue that further restrictions risk backfiring, and could prompt Beijing to accelerate efforts to develop domestic alternatives and reduce reliance on American suppliers.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025
Hasen explained that attempts to redraw congressional maps this aggressively sometimes end up backfiring and actually helping the minority party.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfiring
Verb
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The carrier warned that incorrect declarations can result in cargo shifting or collapsing, alongside other accidents like chemical reactions, fires or even explosions.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Sep. 2025
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Some were collapsing or fire-damaged, others left vacant after the house next door burned.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
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Domnhall Gleeson stars as the new editor-in-chief of a flopping Toledo newspaper tasked with revitalising its output.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfiring. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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