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
Some fashion retailers‘ efforts to reduce the higher import costs are backfiring.
—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
Djokovic, meanwhile, tried to shorten points by hitting drop shots of his own, but the tactic kept backfiring, with Prižmić able to chase them down and fire away winners.
—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
The president’s attacks and threats on Fed policymakers themselves are also backfiring.
—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
The overconfidence of the pro-Trump push in country music pre- and postelection is backfiring on many of its most enthusiastic emissaries.
—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Red Lobster's push to lure diners with cheap deals may be backfiring, with one retail expert warning the strategy could be attracting the wrong customer as losses continue to mount.
—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Maura Healey, posing with a powerful weapon in her hands, joins a long list of pols whose political pandering to hunters and gun owners could end up backfiring.
—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
But, more than that, there’s a danger for the governor of this advertising campaign backfiring.
—
Larry Wilson,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Tehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.
—
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
23 June 2026
Djokovic, meanwhile, tried to shorten points by hitting drop shots of his own, but the tactic kept backfiring, with Prižmić able to chase them down and fire away winners.
—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
The president’s attacks and threats on Fed policymakers themselves are also backfiring.
—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
The overconfidence of the pro-Trump push in country music pre- and postelection is backfiring on many of its most enthusiastic emissaries.
—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Red Lobster's push to lure diners with cheap deals may be backfiring, with one retail expert warning the strategy could be attracting the wrong customer as losses continue to mount.
—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Maura Healey, posing with a powerful weapon in her hands, joins a long list of pols whose political pandering to hunters and gun owners could end up backfiring.
—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
But, more than that, there’s a danger for the governor of this advertising campaign backfiring.
—
Larry Wilson,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Tehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.
—
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backfiring
Verb
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The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.
-
Unlike straw or lower-grade wool blends, beaver felt can be reworked without collapsing its structure, which is what allows hats to be reshaped by hand rather than stamped out of a mold.
Verb
-
Brown has talked trash about Sixers center Joel Embiid and has accused him of flopping.
-
Video shows Neil flopping his blubbery body around on the street, destroying fences and cuddling with traffic cones.
Cite this Entry
“Backfiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backfiring. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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