as in collapsing
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 boomeranging
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
Greg Cote
january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomeranging
Verb
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In September, federal investigators with the National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a statement the partial collapse of the previous tower likely began from the pool deck, which started collapsing before the rest of the building.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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The second force is collapsing barriers to entry.—
Michael Jacobides,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Magnus shook his head, his damp hair flopping against the back of his neck.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
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And who knows — the Warriors might have won Sunday if Porziņģis hadn’t fallen prey to Alpren Sengun’s flopping.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The overconfidence of the pro-Trump push in country music pre- and postelection is backfiring on many of its most enthusiastic emissaries.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Red Lobster's push to lure diners with cheap deals may be backfiring, with one retail expert warning the strategy could be attracting the wrong customer as losses continue to mount.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomeranging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomeranging. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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