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.

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

In fact, it is backfiring, dusting the world in optimistic, spring-flower pink schadenfreude.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

In Silicon Valley, tech pros and amateurs are competing to see how many tasks they can outsource to AI without things backfiring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

At around that time, those price increases started backfiring.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 25, 2025

Like the rest of the Wizarding world, Bathilda puts Kendra’s premature death down to a backfiring charm, a story repeated by Albus and Aberforth in later years.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling