WikiWord

backfiring

From WikiWord

English

Etymology

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Pronunciation

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Noun

backfiring noun

  1. A failure that leads to further misfortune.

Verb

backfiring verb

  1. (of a gun, cannon, Bunsen burner, etc.) To fire in the opposite direction, for example due to an obstruction in the barrel.
  2. (of an engine) To experience a premature ignition of fuel or an ignition of exhaust gases, making a popping sound.
  3. To fail in a manner that brings down further misfortune.“His attempt to make money by importing luxury cars backfired horribly when fuel prices tripled.”

Word map

backlashboomerangreversebackcastfiascoblowbackdownward spi…misfirecobra effectmisfiringbackfiring

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Usage & collocations

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Community definitions

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Usage in the wild

Real example sentences for backfiring appear here as readers add them.

References