backfire
verb (used without object)
(of an internal-combustion engine) to have a loud, premature explosion in the intake manifold.
backfiring
-
present participleof backfire.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
"These things are backfiring," he said, adding that "the regulatory environment is obviously not helping Europe or France."
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
But in Brazil’s conservative heartland, that strategy is backfiring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
But Frazer Rhodes, who worked in government across a decade to help build the technology and devise high thresholds for the alerts, feels a review is now necessary to avoid future ones backfiring.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In fact, it is backfiring, dusting the world in optimistic, spring-flower pink schadenfreude.
From Salon ● May 16, 2026
The automobile had a black canvas roof, slotted rubber tires, and a brass horn, and was shimmying and shaking and backfiring to beat the band.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
