back
fire
Present Participle
backfiring
Past Tense
backfired
Past Participle
backfired
1
to have a result contrary to what one desired or intended
- His attempt to prank his friend backfired when she turned the tables on him.
- The company's decision to cut costs unexpectedly backfired, leading to a decline in product quality.
- Trying to gain popularity, the politician's controversial statement backfired, causing a public outcry.
- The attempt to speed up the project by cutting corners backfired, resulting in delays and errors.
- The strategy to increase sales by raising prices backfired as customers turned to cheaper alternatives.
2
to intentionally start a small fire in order to control or prevent the spread of a larger fire
- The firefighters decided to backfire to contain the wildfire before it spread further.
- In order to control the blaze, they backfired along the ridge to create a firebreak.
- During the emergency, the team quickly backfired to protect the forest.
- After hours of fighting the fire, the firefighters decided to backfire along the valley.
- The strategy to backfire helped them prevent the fire from getting out of control.
3
(of a vehicle or its engine) to experience an explosion in the engine or exhaust system due to improper timing, causing a loud noise or malfunction
- The old car backfired when I tried to start it this morning.
- If the engine's timing is off, it can easily backfire.
- As he accelerated, the motorcycle suddenly backfired, startling everyone nearby.
- The car backfired so loudly that it startled the pedestrians walking by.
- I heard the car backfire as it passed by, and I thought something was wrong.