as in to backfire
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 boomerang
The idea of Miami boomeranging from 7-10 to make the playoffs next year and maybe even end that playoff-victory drought is not be crazy.
—
Greg Cote
january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
The wild part is how quickly that creator theme boomeranged back at us in real time.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025
Finding a way to bring value to others always boomerangs in some way.
—Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
The most blatant of those on Sunday was Kelce converting a great opportunity into a play that boomeranged the other way.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boomerang
Greg Cote
january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
The wild part is how quickly that creator theme boomeranged back at us in real time.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025
Finding a way to bring value to others always boomerangs in some way.
—Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
The most blatant of those on Sunday was Kelce converting a great opportunity into a play that boomeranged the other way.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boomerang
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerang
Verb
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Moore's push for mid-cycle redistricting has run into opposition from State Senate President Bill Ferguson, who argues that the effort could backfire, costing Democrats a seat.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Others in the housing space, though, say that is not the case and that the policy could backfire by making housing more expensive for some.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Abstract governance debates collapse when basic participation and revenue data are examined.—
Michael Fealey,
Sportico.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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Or that there is a wild proliferation of parallel universes, or that a mysterious process causes quantumness to spontaneously collapse.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the field, Harry Truman’s Approval Rating whinnied and tossed its head, and Richard Nixon’s Approval Rating flopped on one side and emitted a horrible gurgle.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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While Cort earned his accolades, the film received mixed reviews upon release and flopped at the box office.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomerang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerang. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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