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Definitions

backfire

[bak-fahyuhr] / ˈbækˌfaɪər /


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.

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Others worried it could backfire in part by raising expectations that the Treasury Department will intervene anytime yields rise past certain key level—expectations that could be hard for Bessent to meet.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

But there’s no way this could possibly backfire, right?

From Salon Aug. 17, 2026

“Law enforcement has good intentions but they sometimes backfire with unintended consequences. Often, the more laws you create to prevent people from having a reptile, the more they want them. But sometimes prohibition does work.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 6, 2026

And it can backfire for those who get overwhelmed easily and don’t see a silver lining to having accumulated a lot of wealth.

From MarketWatch Jul. 25, 2026

But almost immediately, the Berlin Wall began to backfire on Khrushchev.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

The company has long relied on this high-yielding equity as its primary engine to bankroll Bitcoin acquisitions—a strategy that backfires when the shares lose ground.

From Barron's Jun. 26, 2026

All of the above comes with a caveat: Unbridled choice often backfires.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 14, 2026

An attempt to impress the Chairwoman by adorning a space at the club in colonial chic backfires.

From Salon Apr. 23, 2026

Is there a chance this really backfires, then?

From Slate Jan. 13, 2026

While groans, fiendish gurglings and backfires were emitting from the barn, the house itself would be organized confusion, as the family carried out its preparations in accordance with prearranged plans.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

But history also provides examples of companies for whom courting less-creditworthy customers backfired spectacularly.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

The last time they tried, it backfired spectacularly.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

But a police crackdown on crowds marching towards parliament on July 20 backfired, galvanising support for the movement and transforming anger over exam leaks into a broader expression of youth frustration.

From Barron's Jul. 29, 2026

The chain has experienced other problems as well, including remodels that backfired, agitation among activist investors and same-store sales that have wobbled over Masino’s three-year tenure.

From MarketWatch Jul. 28, 2026

So Donovan shifted gears and talked to Latrell about the robot, which also backfired.

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman

But I also feel like there’s a huge risk of that backfiring.

From Salon Jun. 22, 2026

Nestlé tweaked its portfolio, but investors say some acquisitions were a distraction, backfiring as the company expanded into non-core areas.

From Barron's Jun. 10, 2026

Mr. Trump is frustrated that his Administration’s criminal investigation into Mr. Powell over a cost overrun on a Fed building renovation is backfiring in a big way.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 15, 2026

China's approach to urging people to have children also risks backfiring if people feel the government is being "too intrusive" about what is deeply personal choice, she said.

From BBC Dec. 31, 2025

The automobile had a black canvas roof, slotted rubber tires, and a brass horn, and was shimmying and shaking and backfiring to beat the band.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns




Vocabulary lists containing backfire


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