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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerang
Verb
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But this dominance has backfired, forcing other nations to develop alternative systems.—
Jon Helgi Egilsson,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025 -
His efforts to heal the Catholic Church’s scarred reputation in the country have, on occasion, backfired, damaging the image of the church as well as his own.—
Federico Perelmuter,
The Dial,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Permafrost acts as nature’s foundation in the Arctic, providing structural stability for landscapes that would otherwise collapse.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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Those mortgages were then bundled into complex financial products that collapsed when homeowners started defaulting on their loans.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kraven the Hunter — Sony Marvel’s box office flop starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe — arrives on Netflix this week.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Gaga played Harley Quinn in the DC movie, which flopped at the box office and was panned by critics.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
9 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Boomerang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerang. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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