as in collapses
to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
the well-meaning gesture boomeranged, since he ended up being offended by it
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Recent Examples of boomerangs
Finding a way to bring value to others always boomerangs in some way.
—
Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerangs
Verb
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As the video demonstrates, von Ensingen’s drawing (not in the show, alas) collapses all the levels, complete with stairs, setbacks, vaults, and columns, onto a single plane.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
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For Tottenham, what once felt unthinkable is fast becoming one of the most remarkable collapses the 34-year Premier League era has seen.—
Dean Jones,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
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Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And sometimes the gotcha nature of the reports backfires.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Back on the boy-toy front, Deborah’s PR stunt backfires both personally and professionally.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomerangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerangs. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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