mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r 
misfired; misfiring; misfires
1
: to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time
the engine misfired
2
: to fail to fire
the gun misfired
3
: to miss an intended effect or objective
the new ad campaign misfired
mis·fire
ˌmis-ˈfī(-ə)r
ˈmis-ˌfī(-ə)r
1
: a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
2
: something that misfires
Synonyms
Examples of misfire in a Sentence
Verb
their scheme to rob the bank misfired disastrously and landed them all in jail
Recent Examples on the Web
Clay Risen, New York Times, 22 May 2024
But Maryland misfired on 34 of 56 shots to end with a .393 field goal percentage and trudged into droughts of 3:02 and 3:47 in the first half that the Badgers pounced on for leads of 18-7 and 34-15, respectively.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misfire 
Verb
Both crashes were traced to misfiring anti-stall sensors.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 22 May 2024
But Maryland misfired on 34 of 56 shots to end with a .393 field goal percentage and trudged into droughts of 3:02 and 3:47 in the first half that the Badgers pounced on for leads of 18-7 and 34-15, respectively.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for misfire
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misfire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Misfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misfire. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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