To have an unexpected and opposite effect, especially when an action intends to have a certain result but produces the opposite or undesirable outcome.
Meaning of ‘Backfire’ in English
Backfire
(Verb)
Meaning
Examples
His plan to impress his boss with a joke completely backfired.
Trying to manipulate the situation backfired, and trust was lost.
The attempt to increase prices backfired, and customers stopped buying.
The prank was intended to be funny but backfired, causing embarrassment.
The decision to cut costs unexpectedly backfired, leading to lower product quality.
The attempt to silence the opposition backfired, drawing more attention to the issue.
Synonyms
Fail
Misfire
Flop
Rebound
Boomerang
Miscarry
