English-French translations for backfire

• avoir l'effet inverse
• pétarader
• se retourner contre
  Cette approche ne peut que se retourner contre eux. This approach can only backfire on them.
  Si vous le faites, cela risque de se retourner contre vous et d'entamer la confiance des citoyens ordinaires envers l'Union européenne. If you do so, this will backfire against ordinary people's trust in the European Union.

Definition of backfire

• To fire in the opposite direction, for example due to an obstruction in the barrel
• To fail in a manner that brings down further misfortune
• An explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine

Examples

• His attempt to make money by importing luxury cars backfired horribly when fuel prices tripled.

Related words

• backfill
• backfiring
• backfisch
• backfish
• backfire effect