backfire
19 points
English
8 letters
Uncommon
Commonness #24,674
Valid in: US and UK dictionaries
Definitions
noun
a miscalculation that recoils on its maker
verb
set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire
Definition: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University.
Pronunciation
/bˈækfˌaɪɹ/ · 2 syllables · CMUdict (BSD-3-Clause)
Word forms
plural backfires
Forms from WordNet 3.1 morphology — every form attested in the dictionary.
Synonyms
a miscalculation that recoils on its maker
the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired
Synonyms grouped by meaning — WordNet 3.1 (Princeton University).
Rhymes
haywirehellfireesquirewilshiremcintyrewiltshiredevonshirelancashiremacintyreshropshirebiedermeierbrushfiredarbyshirefoxfirenewswireproxmire
More rhymes → · rhymes from CMUdict (BSD-3-Clause)