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
Those lower judges eventually rejected his arguments, and Reed boomeranged back to the justices.
—
Ella Lee, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Ella Lee, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomeranged
Verb
-
As the operation collapsed, the messages show the men scrambling for protection and escape routes.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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In August 2021, as Kabul collapsed and Afghans crowded the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin — then a Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma — tried to travel to Afghanistan.—
Peter Lucier,
Washington Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After beating Atlanta last Friday without Jaylen Brown and Charlotte on Sunday without Brown and Derrick White, Boston flopped in a rematch with the Hawks, losing 112-102 without a crew of contributors headlined by a resting Jayson Tatum.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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But that effort has flopped, because the SAVE America Act doesn't have the votes to pass in the Senate.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In New York, efforts by billionaires to defeat a democratic socialist mayoral candidate backfired spectacularly.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Just don't try anything like these pranks from companies that backfired in spectacular ways.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomeranged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomeranged. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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