backfire

Everyday

1. If a plan backfires, it goes wrong and has the opposite result to what you wanted, often hurting you instead. tree →
2. If a car or engine backfires, it makes a sudden loud bang because fuel explodes in the wrong place. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and everyday life, tricks and lies often backfire on the person who did them — a common lesson in fables. In science, a backfire in an old car or motorbike is a loud bang, sometimes mistaken for a gunshot. Phrases: «backfire on someone», «the plan backfired».

Examples

• His plan to scare his sister backfired when he got scared. tree →
• The joke backfired, and nobody laughed. tree →
• Lying to your parents can backfire. tree →
• The old car backfired with a loud bang. tree →
• Her trick backfired on her. tree →
• Skipping lunch backfired — I felt sick in the afternoon. tree →
• The fox's clever plan backfired in the end. tree →
• The motorbike backfired and the birds flew off. tree →

Note

One word. Pattern: «backfire on someone». It is mostly a verb about plans; it does not mean a fire starting again. A firefighter's «backfire» (a planned fire to stop a wildfire) is a special meaning.