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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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
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Multiple Independence homeowners suffered structural damage, flooding or partial home collapses that week, including Manuel Ramirez and Michael Thomas, whose home was built in 1949.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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Social psychologists have long demonstrated that when individuals merge into a group, nuance collapses.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Continue reading … PULLING THE PLUG – Amazon cancels 'Melania' movie screening at cinema after sign backfires.—
,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Early escalation without documentation often backfires.—
Essence,
Essence,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boomerangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerangs. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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