backfire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The pressure is now on CEO Vinai Venkatesham - previously at Arsenal - sporting director Johan Lange, and the Lewis family, who are over-seeing affairs, as the gamble of Tudor's appointment continues to backfire.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

But such a strategy could ultimately backfire, Marko Kolanovic, a former top strategist at J.P.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

This strategy "will backfire for specific audiences, particularly Westerners and others from democracies who are used to having freedom of expression," said Bohl.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

“Many presidents wouldn’t have that tone for personal moral reasons,” Rowland said, “but they also know that it can backfire when things don’t go well.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

In many Mende stories the spider is the character that tricks other animals to get what he wants, but his tricks always backfire on him.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah