backfire
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
-
(of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system
-
(of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetrator
his plans backfired on him
-
to start a controlled fire in order to halt an advancing forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area
noun
-
-
an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust system
-
a premature explosion in a cylinder or inlet manifold
-
-
a controlled fire started to create a barren area that will halt an advancing forest or prairie fire
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
backfiresimple
-
backfiressimple
-
have backfiredperfect
-
has backfiredperfect
-
am backfiringprogressive
-
are backfiringprogressive
-
is backfiringprogressive
-
have been backfiringperfect progressive
-
has been backfiringperfect progressive
Past
-
backfiredsimple
-
had backfiredperfect
-
was backfiringprogressive
-
were backfiringprogressive
-
had been backfiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of backfire
Explanation
Use the word backfire when you talk about the sound a car makes when a small explosion in its exhaust system pops — sometimes as loudly as a gunshot. Hearing a car's backfire can make you jump, because it makes a sharp, shot-like sound. A backfire is usually caused by unburned fuel, and it can be accompanied by a burst of flame and a brief loss of power in the vehicle, as well as a fairly loud noise. The word comes from an American English term that originally referred to a fire deliberately set to slow the progress of a prairie or forest fire.
Vocabulary lists containing backfire
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Catching Fire
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It's nothing new - John Aldridge, Mexico legend Hugo Sanchez and Pele all used the stutter to gain an advantage - but it can backfire spectacularly if the goalkeeper doesn't commit to diving early.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
His surprise move threatened to backfire Wednesday after other heavyweight parties confirmed they would not contest a by-election.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
If prosecutors do turn up evidence of wrongdoing, Newsom’s decision to parade his indignation could backfire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Wilson, who was the biographer for A. Philip Randolph, the iconic civil rights and labor leader, said the Ohio FBI raids “were an act of desperation that will backfire and only inspire greater voter turnout.”
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
The warnings her gran always issued drummed through her: Whatever is conjured with an ill heart will backfire.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
"Discord could lose users if its implementation of age verification backfires, but it could equally attract more new users who will be drawn to its new standards for online safety by design," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 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
Some might look at the Platner implosion and realize that treating each one of his bad decisions, harmful actions, and personal failures as an upside for his relatability backfired spectacularly.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
His decision to pardon Richard Nixon may have been an admirable attempt to unite the country and move on, but it backfired on him politically and his popularity plummeted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Michelle Gross, the president of the Minneapolis-based Citizens United Against Police Brutality, told Salon in an interview that, based on her observations, this move from the administration has already backfired.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
British hygiene brand Dettol has apologised for an advert in China that it claims was meant to call out sexism, but has instead backfired.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
I followed her sheepishly, my plan to go it alone and hide my white mother now completely awash, backfired in the worst way.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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
The critics argue Lemssouguer relies heavily on borrowed money, or leverage, to boost profits, a strategy prone to backfiring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
At around that time, those price increases started backfiring.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 25, 2025
Then a truck came toward us with its chains ratding and its engine backfiring.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
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.