blowback

Plural: blowbacks

Noun

• An unintended negative consequence or recoil.
• the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired
• misinformation resulting from the recirculation into the source country of disinformation previously planted abroad by that country's intelligence service
• A type of action where the pressure from the fired cartridge blows a sliding mechanism backward to extract the fired cartridge, chamber another cartridge, and cock the hammer.
• An unintended adverse result, especially of covert political action.
• The act of shotgunning (inhaling from a pipe etc. and exhaling into another smoker's mouth).
• On a steam locomotive, the reversal of exhaust gases when the regulator is closed without using the blower.
• Synonym of backscatter.

Examples

• His risky seven-letter word had significant blowback, opening a triple word score for his foe.

Synonyms

backfire, backscatter, fallout

Related Words

blow forward