as in collapsed
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 boomeranged
The wild part is how quickly that creator theme boomeranged back at us in real time.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 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
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomeranged
Verb
-
In October, the company’s stock collapsed to less than $1 per share after a debt deal, down from its peak of nearly $235 per share in 2019.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
When the old order collapsed, Iran’s networks were ready.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
None of those players flopped but none of them been outstanding, either.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
He and most of the Cluely staff were flopped on a single sofa.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Running for judge two years ago, Peffer told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board of the need to rebuild trust and confidence in the courts, but her efforts backfired spectacularly.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
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When Pages replaced Edman in center, Roberts had again made a move that backfired in another ninth inning of another Game 7.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomeranged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomeranged. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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