blowback

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"blowback" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blowback” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,023. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,023
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blowback · blowback · English

blowback · rank #41,023 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,023
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH boathouse

Nearest frequency peer: boathouse (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “blowback”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “blowback” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for blowback
PropertyValue
Headwordblowback
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Frequency rank#41,023
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “blowback”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).blowbacklands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “boathouse” (#41,025), “Blenheim” (#41,020), “bladed” (#41,019). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blowback” is #41,023. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around blowback, anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,023 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for blowback, with forms such as "bblowback", "bllowback", and "blobwack". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from blow back. The correct English form is blowback, spelled B-L-O-W-B-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    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.
  2. 2
    An unintended adverse result, especially of covert political action.
  3. 3
    The act of shotgunning (inhaling from a pipe etc. and exhaling into another smoker's mouth).
  4. 4
    On a steam locomotive, the reversal of exhaust gases when the regulator is closed without using the blower.
  5. 5
    Synonym of backscatter.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how blowback appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Israeli UZI submachine gun, one the most easily recognized examples of a blowback firearm, is well known for its simplicity, ease of manufacture, low maintenance, and utter reliability.
  2. All of the other retired C.I.A. officers who appeared before the subcommittee today acknowledged that the problem of the “domestic blowback” of agency propaganda had been a genuine problem, out most of them dismissed the mounting concern over C.I.A.'s past employment of American journalists as misguided.

Etymology

Deverbal from blow back.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bblowback
  • bllowback
  • blobwack
  • blowabck
  • blowbacck
  • blowbackk
  • blowbakc
  • blowbback
  • blowbcak
  • blowwback
  • blwoback
  • bolwback
  • lbowback

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blowback - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bblowback1bllowback1blobwack2blowabck2blowbacck1blowbackk1blowbakc2blowbback1
Edit distance from "blowback"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blowback"?
"blowback" is spelled B-L-O-W-B-A-C-K.
What does "blowback" mean?
As a noun, "blowback" means: 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.
What are common misspellings of "blowback"?
Common misspellings include "bblowback", "bllowback", "blobwack", "blowabck", "blowbacck". The correct spelling is "blowback".
What is the origin of the word "blowback"?
Deverbal from blow back. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "blowback", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Blenheim#41,020Bergeron#41,014cardamom#41,035Bahraini#41,005

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

alabaster13 variantsyachting13 variantsdishonour13 variantsurination13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list