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boomerang

[ boo-muh-rang ]
/ ˈbu məˌræŋ /
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See synonyms for: boomerang / boomeranging on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used without object)
to come back or return, as a boomerang.
to cause harm to the originator; backfire.
adjective
coming back, returning, or backfiring: the boomerang consequences of his lies.
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.
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Origin of boomerang

First recorded in 1820–30; from Dharuk būmariny
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use boomerang in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for boomerang

boomerang
/ (ˈbuːməˌræŋ) /

noun
a curved flat wooden missile of native Australians, which can be made to return to the thrower
an action or statement that recoils on its originator
verb
(intr) to recoil or return unexpectedly, causing harm to its originator; backfire

Word Origin for boomerang

C19: from a native Australian language
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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