as in to backfire
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerang
Verb
-
To earn extra money, Rochelle starts charging classmates for help with their assignments, a plan that ultimately backfires.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2025 -
President Emmanuel Macron of France, who first floated the idea of a peacekeeping force last year — to widespread skepticism in Europe — has been weakened since his decision to call parliamentary elections last summer backfired and left him with a fragile government.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The roof and walls of the institute have collapsed.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
-
The core collapses as the outer layers of the stars are shed.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Related Articles Big Oakland hotel flops into loan default as local lodging woes widen Iconic San Jose hotel open as renovations get underway Berkeley losing money due to poor lease management practices, audit finds Decades later, the mountain remains vulnerable to development pressures.—
Ryan Macasero,
The Mercury News,
13 Feb. 2025
-
If Hicks flops in the spring and is offered back to the Tigers — and if Ramirez begins the season at Triple A — then the Marlins will need to claim a veteran backup because Jhonny Pereda was traded to the Athletics last Friday.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Boomerang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerang. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share