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- Dictionaryback·fire/ˈbakˌfī(ə)r/
verb
- 1. (of an engine) undergo a mistimed explosion in the cylinder or exhaust: "a car backfired in the road" Similar
- 2. (of a plan or action) rebound adversely on the originator; have the opposite effect to what was intended: "overzealous publicity backfired on her" Similar
noun
- 1. a mistimed explosion in the cylinder or exhaust of a vehicle or engine: "once the engine is running smoothly, a backfire can be dramatic"
- 2. a fire set intentionally to arrest the progress of an approaching fire by creating a burned area in its path, thus depriving the fire of fuel. North American
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(of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended: Her plans to make him jealous backfired on her when he started dating her best friend. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Failing and doing badly. abjectly. at-risk. backbencher. balls (something) up. be on your beam ends idiom. blow (someone/something) up. bomb. egg.
The meaning of BACKFIRE is to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect. How to use backfire in a sentence.
BACKFIRE meaning: 1. (of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended: 2. (of an engine) to make a…. Learn more.
verb (intransitive) 1. (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system. 2. (of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetrator. his plans backfired on him.
verb. (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system. (of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetrator. his plans backfired on him.
Use the word backfire when you talk about the sound a car makes when a small explosion in its exhaust system pops — sometimes as loudly as a gunshot. Hearing a car's backfire can make you jump, because it makes a sharp, shot-like sound.
Definition of backfire verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. An explosion of prematurely ignited fuel or of unburned exhaust gases in an internal-combustion engine. 2. The backward escape of gases or cartridge fragments when a gun is fired. 3. A fire started in the path of an oncoming fire in order to deprive it of fuel and thereby control or extinguish it. intr.v. back·fired, back·fir·ing, back·fires. 1.
Definitions of 'backfire' 1. If a plan or project backfires, it has the opposite result to the one that was intended. [...] 2. When a motor vehicle or its engine backfires, it produces an explosion in the exhaust pipe. [...] More. English for Special Purposes. in Automotive Engineering.
backfire meaning, definition, what is backfire: if a plan or action backfires, it has th...: Learn more.
