as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in catastrophe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of misfire
Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Sep. 2024
The president’s chances increasingly rely on the possibility that the polls are misfiring.
July 12, 2024By Nate Cohn
Home Insurance Rates in America Are Wildly Distorted.
—Kellen Browning Nate Cohn Mira Rojanasakul Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 13 July 2024
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
The Ravens cracked in the fourth quarter, undone by too many empty drives and special teams misfires.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misfire 
Verb
In the scuffle, Lawrence pulled out a second pistol; but that gun also misfired.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Sep. 2024
The president’s chances increasingly rely on the possibility that the polls are misfiring.
July 12, 2024By Nate Cohn
Home Insurance Rates in America Are Wildly Distorted.
—Kellen Browning Nate Cohn Mira Rojanasakul Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 13 July 2024
Noun
These calls crescendoed after the misfire elections of 2000 and 2016 where the Democratic ticket won the national popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
The Ravens cracked in the fourth quarter, undone by too many empty drives and special teams misfires.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
-
Although Herbert’s stats have failed to reach the blistering pace of his first four seasons, the former No. 6 pick set a career-high in passer rating while throwing for 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns.Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025
-
If all else fails, back up your essential data and perform a factory reset to wipe your phone clean.Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Giants’ other midlevel free-agent signings were flops.Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
-
The sale, which was required by Congress, marks the second time in four years that an effort to auction oil and gas leases in the pristine wilderness — home to migrating caribou, polar bears, musk oxen, millions of birds and other wildlife — has been a flop.Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Patients who are miscarrying still don’t know what to expect from Houston Methodist.Lizzie Presser, ProPublica, 25 Nov. 2024
-
Louisiana’s law could also make pharmacists less likely to fill misoprostol prescriptions for people miscarrying at home, or even for non-pregnant patients taking the drug before IUD insertions or diagnostic procedures called hysteroscopies.Susan Rinkunas, refinery29.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Guaranteed there will be no repeat of last year’s Taylor Swift fiasco, when host Jo Koy told a joke at Taylor Swift’s expense in his opening monologue.Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2025
-
If the Kings were going to write a script for how to turn Fox into a sympathetic figure in this whole fiasco, this would be it.Sam Amick, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Then in July, talks were stalled when Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a key facilitator in the talks, was killed in Iran.Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025
-
Yet, as with Governor Abbott’s school choice proposal in Texas, Lee’s bill stalled in his state House.Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Nuclear arms race The worst-case scenario in an escalating conflict between the U.S. and China would be either side turning to nuclear bombs.Brad Dress, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025
-
Host Nikki Glaser skewers Hollywood A-listers with kindness, gets an assist from Adam Sandler Overall, a great performance, especially when compared to Koy's comedic bomb last year.Marco della Cava, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Following an absolute dud of a ceremony last January, the Golden Globes righted its wrongs by offering nominees and viewers something both wholly different and beautifully familiar.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
-
After a total dud of a game against the Lions, Winters doubled down with a brutal game in both coverage and against the run in Arizona.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
An east wind will maintain a higher risk of rip currents along the coast, but overall, the holiday period will not see a washout.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
-
On six of those instances, the games were postponed on back-to-back days, including a stretch of three consecutive days of washouts.Chris Kirschner, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near misfire
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share