as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in catastrophe
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Overall the Lakers committed 21 more turnovers, giving up 26 points off the mistakes while paying dearly for every errant dribble or misfired pass against the swarming Thunder defenders.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
This decision to stop progress on Be Fri came in late 2023, months after Toy Story prequel movie Lightyear was a box office misfire in light of right-wing pundits causing commotion over its same-gender kiss.
—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
The rocket’s upper stage was supposed to fire its engines two times to inject AST’s satellite into the proper orbit, but the stage misfired on the second burn, stranding the payload in a lower-than-planned orbit.
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Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Overall the Lakers committed 21 more turnovers, giving up 26 points off the mistakes while paying dearly for every errant dribble or misfired pass against the swarming Thunder defenders.
—
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
Officials confirmed a misfire without providing details.
—
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
This decision to stop progress on Be Fri came in late 2023, months after Toy Story prequel movie Lightyear was a box office misfire in light of right-wing pundits causing commotion over its same-gender kiss.
—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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From 1994 to 2018, Mexico failed to win a World Cup knockout game and, in 2022, failed to advance past the group stage — its worst showing at a World Cup since 1978.
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Such a bond occurs when a judge grants a compassionate release for inmates who are in failing health and no longer a threat to the community.
Noun
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In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.
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The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.
Verb
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In the spring, when animals’ energy stores are low, navigating uncrossable fences can cause pregnant wildlife to miscarry and, over time, result in declining birthrates, the authors wrote.
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Hamel became pregnant in October 2025 and miscarried, and her sister became pregnant soon after and also miscarried.
Noun
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But with the righty and the Yankees donning stars and stripes themed jerseys, bombs began bursting in the humid Bronx air shortly after Saturday’s game began.
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Each city and many organizations had their own displays of rockets and aerial bombs, the largest one in this area being at Walt Disney World.
Verb
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Others stall out for one reason or another and never make it.
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Some proposals have stalled amid broader legislative priorities, while others have raised questions about property rights and due process.
Noun
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John Wilson/Netflix ©2026 Netflix is going to throw away money on blockbuster critical flops anyway.
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Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026.
Noun
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Harry's decision comes amid an ongoing security fiasco concerning the safety of Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
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Add in a fiasco of a camp, where celebrities had access to the team’s hotel, and subpar performances in defeats against Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the hoodoo appeared stronger than ever.
Noun
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According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.
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Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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