as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
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as in catastrophe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2025
Tammy Daybell, Chad's former wife, reported someone had tried to shoot her in October 2019 but the gun misfired.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
Carl Anka, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The Elephant Man and Dune then mark Lynch’s entry into the Hollywood system, with the former a critical triumph and the latter a torturous misfire that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
Northwestern misfired on six free-position shots in the opening two quarters, and Suriano made saves on at least four of those chances.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2025
Tammy Daybell, Chad's former wife, reported someone had tried to shoot her in October 2019 but the gun misfired.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
His signing was more than your typical disappointing misfire.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The Elephant Man and Dune then mark Lynch’s entry into the Hollywood system, with the former a critical triumph and the latter a torturous misfire that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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The State Department reportedly justified its decision by accusing the school of repeatedly failing to combat antisemitism on campus.—
Jackson Walker,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
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As well as failing to clinch the league title, Inter lost to bitter rival AC Milan in January’s Italian Super Cup and again to Milan in April’s Italian Cup semifinals.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore grossed $400 million at the global box office against a budget of more than $250 million, and is considered an enormous flop.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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The Cybertruck is shaping up to be a flop for the ages.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Verb
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The boy was the father of a baby Lily had miscarried three weeks prior, Brown said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2025
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The Indigenous actor, who grew up on the Montana reservation of the Blackfeet Nation, knew as a kid that her mother had miscarried only a few months before becoming pregnant with Gladstone.—
Elaina Patton,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The market mayhem wasn't triggered by some mysterious economic force—it's directly connected to mounting anxiety over the federal deficit and the impending fiscal fiasco that Trump and his congressional enablers are planning.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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Read: Inside the fiasco at the National Security Council In saner times, under sounder leadership, changes to the intelligence community would perhaps be welcome.—
James Santel,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
Verb
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On the regulatory front, his businesses face less scrutiny as some government investigations into them have been closed, stalled or thrown into disarray, thanks in part to Musk’s own efforts with DOGE to defund and gut multiple federal agencies.—
John Hyatt,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Unfortunately a bill requiring them to do so stalled in the California Senate last session, exacerbating concerns over whether Californians will be able to access the insurance market after January’s devastating wildfires.—
Jordan Haedtler,
Mercury News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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In January, state media reported that intelligence officials in Syria’s post-Assad government thwarted a plan by IS to set off a bomb at a Shiite Muslim shrine south of Damascus.—
Bassem Mroue,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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Moscow’s stationing fission or fusion bombs in orbit would violate the Outer Space Treaty - the fundamental international pact that governs space missions across the solar system.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The rule change forced jury member Halle Berry to 86 her opening-night duds thanks to the dramatic train.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
20 May 2025
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Holmes and Ellis interpolate a few songs from other Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but most are rendered into duds and Pierce’s moments again prove the exception.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Elsewhere, Philadelphia is expecting a rainy morning and New York City will have occasional showers through the afternoon, but a washout is not expected today.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
21 May 2025
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Or the man who outlasted a near washout at Augusta to win the 2023 Masters in a runaway.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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