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.
Three months later, that neutral stance is beginning to backfire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
The practice worked in Uncle Sam’s favor, as the Fed lowered its short-term interest rate target by 1.75 percentage points in 2024 and 2025, but it may backfire if the central bank starts hiking.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Holding one of these ETFs for a long period could backfire, although it has worked out well recently.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Then again, Patel’s entire stint at the FBI suggests he doesn’t understand that all his efforts to manifest an image of a smart, cool guy that everyone likes are so ham-fisted that they inevitably backfire.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
In many Mende stories the spider is the character that tricks other animals to get what he wants, but his tricks always backfire on him.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
Vocabulary lists containing backfire
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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Catching Fire
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