boomerangs

verb

present tense third-person singular of boomerang
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of boomerangs Finding a way to bring value to others always boomerangs in some way. — Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerangs
  1. collapses
  2. flops
  3. backfires
Verb
  • Some songs are difficult to follow without lyric sheets in hand, and even then, the internal logic collapses, baiting you in with coherent ideas before going in another direction.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The roots infiltrate through tiny joints or cracks, expand from inside, and the pipe collapses gradually.
    — Steven John, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • The importance of competition There are three specific reasons why vote buying usually flops.
    — Kenneth Greene, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • Standardize Financial Outputs Trying to force every product line, regional team or acquired business into a single rigid operational process usually backfires.
    — Kashif Saleem, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Why coffee on an empty stomach backfires Pouring coffee into an empty stomach speeds absorption and sharpens the eventual fall.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of backfires

Browse Nearby Words

boomeranging
boomerangs
booming
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Cite this Entry

“Boomerangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerangs. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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