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View synonyms for

boomerang

[ boo-muh-rang ]

noun

  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.


verb (used without object)

  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

/ ˈːəˌæŋ /

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
“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

verb

  1. intr to recoil or return unexpectedly, causing harm to its originator; backfire
“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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Word History and Origins

Origin of boomerang1

First recorded in 1820–30; from Dharuk ūԲ
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Word History and Origins

Origin of boomerang1

C19: from a native Australian language
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

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

"We have turnovers, liners, hooks, boomerangs, knuckles. And they all do different things," Koch said in an interview with the NFL in 2016.

From

"While launching widespread tariffs may seem like an effective tool, they can boomerang and cause unintended consequences."

From

It will get a gravity assist by sling-shotting around Mars early next year, then boomerang back around Earth in late 2026 before zooming toward the gas giant and its icy, dynamic moon.

From

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

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