What does it mean when something backfires?

What does it mean when something backfires?

1 : to have a result opposite to what was planned The joke backfired. 2 : to make a loud engine noise caused by fuel igniting at the wrong time. backfire. noun.

How can you use backfire in a sentence?

Backfire sentence example

• A woman wants to know that a man has a decent career, but flashing money around just for the sake of showing off may backfire. …
• Some items may seem like romantic meaningful gifts but often backfire in the long run.

Is backfire an idiom?

Meaning of Idiom ‘To Backfire (on someone)’ When something, such as a plot, plan, project, situation, or idea unexpectedly produces a bad result which harms the person carrying out the plot, plan, idea, etc. it is said to have backfired on that person; a failure which results in an undesired result. 1.

What causes a backfire?

A backfire is caused by a combustion or explosion that occurs when unburnt fuel in the exhaust system is ignited, even if there is no flame in the exhaust pipe itself. Sometimes a flame can be seen when a car backfires, but mostly you will only hear a loud popping noise, followed by loss of power and forward motion.

Is backfire informal?

1. fail, founder, flop (informal), rebound, fall through, fall flat, boomerang, miscarry, misfire, go belly-up (slang), turn out badly, meet with disaster The President’s tactics could backfire.

What does a backfire sound like?

Backfiring can sound like a throaty gurgle or a mild popping. However, if you hear what sounds like a loud firecracker exploding under your hood or coming from the tailpipe (and maybe see a flame!), that indicates there’s a problem.