boomerang

American  

[boo-muh-rang] / ˈbu məˌræŋ /

noun

• boomerangs
  plural

1. a bent or curved piece of tough wood used by Australian Aboriginal peoples as a throwing club, one form of which can be thrown so as to return to the thrower.

2. something, as a scheme or argument, that does injury to the originator.

3. Theater.

   1. a mobile platform, adjustable to different levels, for painting scenery.

   2. a batten, usually suspended vertically in the wings, for holding lighting units.

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verb (used without object)

• boomerangs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• boomeranged,
  past participle,  past
• boomeranging
  present participle

1. to come back or return, as a boomerang.

2. to cause harm to the originator; backfire.

adjective

1. coming back, returning, or backfiring.

   the boomerang consequences of his lies.

2. Informal. of or noting a person who returns to their parents’ home or to a previous job after a period of living or working elsewhere.

   a boomerang kid;

   boomerang employees.

boomerang British  

/ ˈbuːməˌræŋ /

noun

1. a curved flat wooden missile of native Australians, which can be made to return to the thrower

2. an action or statement that recoils on its originator

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verb

1. (intr) to recoil or return unexpectedly, causing harm to its originator; backfire

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• boomerangs
  plural

Participles

• boomeranging
  present
• boomeranged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• boomerang
  simple
• boomerangs
  simple
• have boomeranged
  perfect
• has boomeranged
  perfect
• am boomeranging
  progressive
• are boomeranging
  progressive
• is boomeranging
  progressive
• have been boomeranging
  perfect progressive
• has been boomeranging
  perfect progressive

Past

• boomeranged
  simple
• had boomeranged
  perfect
• was boomeranging
  progressive
• were boomeranging
  progressive
• had been boomeranging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will boomerang
  simple
• will have boomeranged
  perfect
• will be boomeranging
  progressive
• will have been boomeranging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of boomerang

First recorded in 1820–30; from Dharuk būmariny

Explanation

A boomerang is a curved piece of wood that returns to the thrower if tossed correctly. To boomerang is to bounce back to a previous position like a boomerang. This word comes whirling to us from an Australian language (Dharuk). The primary meaning is the curved stick that returns to its owner after being thrown. Not just anyone can make a boomerang return: it takes practice and skill. Because a boomerang returns to its original point, it’s also a verb for things that return. This is often used negatively for things you would rather not see again: if a lie boomerangs, it comes back to haunt you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boomerang boomerangs boomeranged boomeranging

The clips boomerang around the internet and get analyzed and recapped for everyone by Sunday morning.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Your good health might turn chronically bad; your money pit of a house might morph into a black hole; your successful children might boomerang back into your basement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

AI critic Will Lockett dubs this the “AI boomerang effect.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

We of all people should know the boomerang swings back, but we got too dependent on you to truly acknowledge that.

From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2025

“Did you hear the one about the Australian who wanted to buy a new boomerang but he couldn’t get rid of his old one?”

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Store workers blow giant colorful bubbles and throw boomerangs around, while jingles from electric toys and whirls from their wheels mingle with the chatter of shoppers’ conversations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

Nala points out all she was taught about Tasmanian Aboriginal culture and history at her Hobart school was a brief lesson on boomerangs and didgeridoos - although her people used neither.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2024

But “Poor Things,” based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, also boomerangs back to the trailblazing Shelley by applying a decidedly feminist touch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

A mysterious story about a boy finding a meteorite ingeniously boomerangs, coincidences mount, patterns emerge, junk proves valuable and she chooses to “take the side of amazement.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2022

Inexplicably, Clyde started flinging magazines across the room like he was throwing boomerangs.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

How has Marcello Hernández’s impression of you on “Saturday Night Live” boomeranged back to you?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Now same policies they supported have boomeranged on them.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026

In the weeks after Carlson’s exit, some viewers bolted to right-wing channel Newsmax, which saw its audience rise 20% to 145,000, though many later boomeranged back to Fox.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

None of that boomeranged back at them at Ibrox either.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2023

Thus I have come a long way and returned and boomeranged a long way from the point in society toward which I originally aspired.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Companies are bringing back retirees who formerly worked there full-time, known as boomeranging.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026

This kind of thing might come back again, and certainly long balls are boomeranging back into fashion as the natural antidote to high pressing, short goal-kicks and high defensive lines.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2025

But the state has seen an uptick in the number of people in need of such programs, as well as more former residents boomeranging back for “further stabilization,” the state report said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2024

"Good," Ronnie replies before the Thor lookalike can even finish speaking, choking back bites of a burger before boomeranging back to the zip line.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023

For Lexie, the precedent was not quite so clear: her mother had grown up in Shaker and had never gone far—just down to Denison for her undergrad before boomeranging back.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng