backfire
English · Thesaurus
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backfire
- /ˈbækfaɪə(ɹ)/
- /bækˈfaɪə(ɹ)/
Where it comes from
From back + fire.
noun backfires
- A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in the wrong direction.
- An explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine. As much of Seattle tries to sleep, the Hellcat supercar goes on the prowl, the howls of its engine and the explosive backfires from its tailpipes echoing off the high-rise towers downtown.
- An explosion in other equipment. The chief causes of rectifier backfiring in the Glasgow units were overheating or unfavourable anode/cathode temperature differential; it has proved possible to overcome these, although occasional backfires do still occur.
- Alternative form of back fire A firefighter monitors a backfire while battling the Carr Fire on July 27. […] A firefighter lights backfires in Redding on July 27.
verb backfires · backfiring · backfired
- Of a gun, cannon, Bunsen burner, etc., to fire in the opposite direction, for example due to an obstruction in the barrel.
- Of a reciprocating engine, to experience a premature ignition of fuel or an ignition of exhaust gases, making a popping sound. It was just after the Biafran war, and all the local people were still jumpy. Any time a car backfired or a police siren howled, they would dive under desks or tables instinctively.
- 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.
- To set a back fire (small, controlled fire to limit spread of a larger fire).
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: backlash, boomerang, rebound, defeat, fail, derail, unfire, back, back water, backwind, counterbuff, recoil, reverse course, reverse, unburn, renverse
Translations
Every language
verb to experience a premature ignition of fuel or an ignition of exhaust gases, making a popping sound
| Español | petardear |
|---|
verb fail
| Español | salir el tiro por la culata, tener el efecto contrario, tener efecto retroactivo, tener contraefecto, jugar una mala pasada |
|---|---|
| Português | sair pela culatra, sair o tiro pela culatra |
| Français | se retourner contre, avoir l'effet inverse, retour de flamme, contrecoup subi |
| Deutsch | fehlschlagen, nach hinten losgehen |
| Italiano | avere effetto contrario |
| Русский | приводи́ть к обра́тным результа́там privodítʹ k obrátnym rezulʹtátam, привести́ к обра́тным результа́там privestí k obrátnym rezulʹtátam |
Talk about this word "backfire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/backfire. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. backfire. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/backfire "backfire." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/backfire.Cite this
@misc{backfire_2026,
title = {backfire},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/backfire},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
