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

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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
  • But the serial killer arc feels more and more tacked on as the season collapses into itself.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
  • And The Margin Trap If a facility cannot support next-generation computing when an anchor lease expires, terminal value collapses.
    — Dr. Dick Bridy, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The second play shows that this column isn't really about whether Clark flops.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • Continue reading … WORD PROBLEMS — El-Sayed's threat against GOP rival backfires as conservatives bring receipts.
    — , FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Shift From Providing Answers To Developing Leaders One challenge was learning that expertise alone doesn't create lasting impact and ultimately backfires as the scope and scale of responsibility grow.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of backfires

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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 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boomerangs

Nglish: Translation of boomerangs for Spanish Speakers

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