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- - back down
  - back off
  - back out of
  - back talk
  - back the wrong horse
  - back up
  - backbiting
  - backbone
  - backed
  - backer
  - backfire
  - background
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backfire

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌbækˈfaɪə^r/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈbækˌfaɪr/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(bak′fī^ər′)

Inflections of 'backfire' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

backfires: v 3rd person singular

backfiring: v pres p

backfired: v past

backfired: v past p

backfire
WordReference English Thesaurus © 2026

Sense: To explode

Synonyms:

burst Collocations, erupt, detonate, explode Collocations

Sense: To go awry

Synonyms:

boomerang, recoil Collocations, rebound Collocations, ricochet, bounce back, strike back, kick back, fly back, spring back, miscarry, fail Collocations, go awry, go wrong

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🗣️Recent forum discussions about thesaurus entries:

All of her attempts backfire - English Only forum
as likely to backfire as succeed - English Only forum
backfire - uncountable? - English Only forum
Backfire or misfire - English Only forum
backfire with the public - English Only forum
backfire: a right word in this context? - English Only forum
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That such a lethal soundbite might backfire one day was lost - English Only forum

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⇱ backfire - WordReference.com English Thesaurus

backfire