backfire
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
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(of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system
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(of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetrator
his plans backfired on him
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to start a controlled fire in order to halt an advancing forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area
noun
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an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust system
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a premature explosion in a cylinder or inlet manifold
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a controlled fire started to create a barren area that will halt an advancing forest or prairie fire
Etymology
Origin of backfire
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So far, this calculus seems to have backfired.
The retailer's attempt to humanise its chat bot may have backfired, as some users said that Olive was "obnoxious," while another said that they found its small talk "aggravating."
From BBC
“You only have so many tries” suggests his attempts to help could backfire; that language is inflammatory and shaming at worst and unhelpful at best.
From MarketWatch
In other laboratory experiments, the researchers sought to identify when a reappropriation strategy might backfire.
It’s true that forced treatment doesn’t always get the desired outcome, and can backfire if it makes the person more resistant to treatment.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
