Phrase guide

back fire

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small, controlled fire set in the path of a larger uncontrolled fire, in order to limit the spread of the large fire by removing its fuel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An explosion produced either by a running internal combustion engine that occurs in the air intake or exhaust system rather than inside the combustion chamber or unburned fuel or hydrocarbons ignited somewhere in the exhaust system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From back + fire.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: contrafoc — controlled fire
  • French: contre-feu — controlled fire
  • Greek: αντεμπρησμός (antemprismós) — controlled fire
  • Greek: αντιπυρκαγιά (antipyrkagiá) — controlled fire
  • Greek: αντιπυρά (antipyrá) — controlled fire
  • Polish: kontrolowany pożar — controlled fire
  • Russian: встре́чный пал (vstréčnyj pal) — controlled fire
  • Serbo-Croatian: protuvatra — controlled fire
  • Spanish: contrafuego — controlled fire
  • Swedish: moteld — controlled fire
  • Catalan: deflagració d'escapament — explosion of a combustion engine
  • Chinese Mandarin: 逆火 (nìhuǒ) — explosion of a combustion engine
  • German: Fehlzündung — explosion of a combustion engine
  • Italian: back-fire — explosion of a combustion engine
  • Polish: przerwa w zapłonie gaźnika — explosion of a combustion engine
  • Spanish: deflagración de escape — explosion of a combustion engine
  • Swedish: bakslag — explosion of a combustion engine