as in to fail
to go wrong
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in catastrophe
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of misfire
Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 May 2025
Not terrible, but interesting mostly in the same way that a lot of great directors’ early misfires are interesting.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 June 2025
If your team constantly misfires, there’s probably a trust issue underneath.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Verb
That’s an especially welcome victory after the commercial and critical misfire of another live-action remake earlier this year — Snow White, which reportedly cost between $240 million and $270 million and grossed a dismal $205 million due to toxic word-of-mouth buzz.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 May 2025
Not terrible, but interesting mostly in the same way that a lot of great directors’ early misfires are interesting.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Noun
Their third-inning outburst started with Scott Kingery’s bunt single that turned into two bases when A’s pitcher Jeffrey Springs misfired on his throw to first base.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 June 2025
If your team constantly misfires, there’s probably a trust issue underneath.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for misfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misfire
Verb
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Renard was not the only one who failed to make the cut.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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In the corporate world, companies that fail to keep up with advances in hardware, software or technology platforms could face a different type of crisis: being at a competitive disadvantage in a challenging and demanding marketplace.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Noun
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Kirk had never heard of Jack Nicholson and said that the film would be a flop.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
6 July 2025
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Rebirth to fall of a cliff or risk being a flop – there’s no realistic chance of that happening, as even a 2.5x final multiplier gets it to $800 million.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Verb
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ProPublica previously reported on two such cases in which miscarrying women in Texas died of sepsis after doctors delayed evacuating their uteruses.—
Lizzie Presser,
ProPublica,
20 Feb. 2025
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But Truman said in late May that prosecutors may use other state laws involving disposing of remains to prosecute women who have miscarried, per DC Now reporting.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Kelly on Friday said the attorney general needs to leave, adding the Trump administration needs to choose between Bondi or Bongino over the Epstein files fiasco.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
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Please stop the madness and return to the layout used prior to this fiasco.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 July 2025
Verb
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In Sutton, Texas, flooding caused cars to stall on Interstate 10 and water was approaching some homes, according to the National Weather Service.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
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The Kids Online Safety Act was reintroduced to Congress in May after stalling in 2024.—
Zach Vallese,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Rafaela’s bomb prevented the game from getting uncomfortably close when Jordan Hicks couldn’t pitch a clean bottom of the ninth.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
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Iranians certainly do after Trump sent bunker-buster bombs into their most secure nuclear facility.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
4 July 2025
Noun
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One big winner carries the fund, while generally nine others are duds or all-out failures.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
5 July 2025
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Even the music and hairstyles were divisive in the mid-1970s, not to mention the clothes — from the powder-blue leisure suits and skin-tight disco duds to denim, denim and more denim.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
Noun
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This year could be a washout for the stock market due to lofty tariffs, but 2026 could mark a return to new highs, according to the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
11 June 2025
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Rain is set to continue in the Northeast on Thursday as New York City, Boston and Buffalo can expect a washout as the late-season nor'easter moves north along the coast.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misfire. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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