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Discover LudwigThe phrase "a backfire" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where an action has the opposite effect of what was intended, often resulting in negative consequences.
Example: "The company's decision to cut costs backfired, leading to a significant drop in employee morale."
Alternatives: "a setback" or "a misfire".
Exact(38)
They had to build a backfire.
But their coach, Andy Reid, wants to avoid a backfire.
A backfire proof nozzle distributor for high temperature gas fluidized bed furnace was designed and developed.
Above, a firefighter set a backfire to battle the Nevada blaze.
Obamacare repeal messaging is part of its pitch, and there's no sign of a backfire.
Firefighters used flares to set a backfire, and it came roaring up onto the property from below, the sisters said.
Similar(22)
People jump at the sound of a blown tire or a backfiring car.
Snape is genuinely cruel, at one point refusing to acknowledge Hermione's horribly overgrown teeth after a backfiring prank.
After investigating the incident, the Secret Service incorrectly determined the shots were a backfiring vehicle.
Loftus, meanwhile, is worried that all the attention given to Comey's memos might have a backfiring effect.
And did Buchanan's own attempts to eject a member backfire catastrophically, leading to a coup?
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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com