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
Relevance
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
Victoria Thomas, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerangs
Verb
-
Bluff collapses, sometimes caused by natural erosion, are not uncommon in north San Diego and along beaches in North County.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
-
Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Needless to say each backfires spectacularly.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Too Early Starting seeds indoors is exciting, but doing so too early often backfires.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomerangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerangs. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
