flip

1 of 3

verb

flipped; flipping; flips

transitive verb

1
: to toss so as to cause to turn over in the air
flip a coin
flip a pancake
also : toss
flip me the ball
flip one end of the scarf over your shoulder
2
a
: to cause to turn and especially to turn over
flipped the car
flipping the pages of a book
b
: to move with a small quick motion
flip a switch
c
: to turn (something) on or off with a switch
flip on/off the lights
d
: to change or move through (channels, stations, etc.) quickly
flipping channels with the remote control
3
: to buy and usually renovate (real estate) so as to quickly resell at a higher price
He's flipped three houses for a substantial profit.
4
: to cause or persuade (a witness) to cooperate in prosecuting a criminal case against an associate
… wrote that the … probe seemed to have reached the stage where investigators are in the process of flipping witnesses.Nancy LeTourneau

intransitive verb

1
: to make a twitching or flicking movement
the fish flipped and flopped on the deck
2
a
: to turn or roll from one side to the other : turn over
The crab had flipped onto its back.
The car flipped over.
b
: to do a somersault in the air : to do a flip
He flipped off the diving board.
3
a
: to change from one state, position, subject, etc., to another
The job market flipped from hot to cold.
The commercial flipped back and forth between scenes of country life and city life.
b
: to change or move through channels, pages, etc.
He sat on the couch flipping through the channels.
flip to another station
flip through the pages of a magazine
c
: to cooperate in the prosecution of a criminal case against an associate
Before sentencing, two more members defected …. And, soon after receiving his 45-year sentence in May 1989, Leonetti flipped, too.Marguerite Del Giudice
4
slang
a
: to lose one's reason or composure
She completely flipped when she heard about her son's accident.
see also flip one's lid, flip out
b
: to become very enthusiastic

flip

2 of 3

noun

1
: a mixed drink usually consisting of a sweetened spiced liquor with beaten eggs
2
: an act or instance of flipping
3
: the motion used in flipping
4
: a somersault especially in the air
5
: a holder for a collectible coin made of vinyl or cardboard with a plastic window and often having a sleeve in which to place an identifying insert

flip

3 of 3

adjective

Phrases
flip the script
informal
: to achieve an outcome or adopt an approach that is opposite to or completely different from what has happened or been done previously
Now, having won three of the last nine majors, Mickelson has flipped the script on Woods.Alan Shipnuck
… the chance to flip the script, to go from 0-6 with a chance to finish the second half of the year 5-1, is motivating Nebraska players this week.Steve Batterson
If you let your inner critic do all the talking, of course she's going to chip away at your self-esteem. Make a conscious choice to flip the script for the next week and see how dramatically it alters your outlook.Petra Guglielmetti

Examples of flip in a Sentence

Verb She was sitting in the waiting room, flipping the pages of a magazine. His car flipped over on the interstate. Noun the flip of a coin She turned on the lights with the flip of a switch. Adjective made some flip comment about the marriage between the old man and the considerably younger woman
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Key to the deal's approval were Bogost and two others flipping their votes. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Related Articles Nvidia becomes Tesla’s successor as market flips from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence OpenAI was founded as a check on what the founders believed is a serious threat that artificial generative intelligence, or AGI, posed to humanity. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Three seats are up for election, and Democrats hope to flip the court from Republican control for the first time in decades. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Adding to the turbulent outlook for Lee and Porter is anticipated low turnout in the solidly blue where Republicans have made subtle inroads in recent years, flipping a handful of House seats in the midterm elections. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Coupled with anxieties over the economy and immigration, GOP campaign officials and strategists believe the 2024 governor's seat can be flipped. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 The case started when Leonard’s owner tracked the GPS collar and pressed the app button to flip on the collar’s flashing lights. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 Their car hit a pole and flipped onto its left side, according to photos the Londonderry Police Department shared on Facebook on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Brooke Baitinger, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Signs at Aliso Creek Plaza have flipped from Albertsons to Haggen and then Gelson’s, beginning in 2016. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
The sun experiences a regular 11-year cycle of waxing and waning activity tied to when the star’s magnetic field flips. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Here’s a breakdown of the playoff overtime rules: A coin flip determines which team receives the opening kickoff. Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 If the two teams have played the same number of playoff home games a coin flip decides the home team. Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 Russell, who is also on the spectrum, affects a flat, staccato speaking style, moves with the grace of a lifelong dancer, easily executes forward and back flips and and — though likely much older — flawlessly plays a fragile, though sometimes volatile, teenage boy. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2024 Beyond mud sliding down berms and boisterous backswing chatter, incidents included a shirtless fan attempting a back flip into a bunker, failing to stick the landing and then proceeding to make several sand angels before security nabbed him. Mike Dojc, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 One bettor took a big loss on Super Bowl 58's opening coin flip. Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 In addition, Taylor Swift’s name was trending, with over 394,000 posts before the coin flip. Carolyn Burt, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024 That up-close view is how Lynch saw the 49ers’ 20-10 lead flip, in the final 6 ½ minutes, into a heartbreaking 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in Miami. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The cabinet features three flip drawers, each with enough space for three pairs of shoes and up to nine total in the units. Ali Faccenda, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Along with the tank and denim, the singer rocked a fresh haircut, her dark brown tresses falling around shoulder length, with the ends curled in a tousled take on the ‘60s-esque flip hairstyle. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 But like many a flip statement that strikes a deep societal nerve, the toast comment took off for a reason. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Nubia Flip Arrives With A Competitive Price Nubia has released its first flip smartphone at MWC and priced it aggressively to take on the mid-range with a folding portable smartphone—the Nubia Flip (also known as the Libero Flip for Japanese customers). Ewan Spence, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 With remote work more mainstream than ever, laptops and flip flops are sharing suitcase space. The Indianapolis Star, 8 Feb. 2024 Walker’s flip addresses a key need for both USC’s 2024 class and immediate depth: USC had just one freshman, Desman Stephens (Michigan), incoming at inside linebacker. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 The same was said for a food contact surface, the cutting board at the flip top reach-in cooler. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 This allows the active error correction to focus solely on phase flip errors, significantly improving the efficiency of quantum error correction. Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

probably imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1616, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flip was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near flip

Cite this Entry

“Flip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flip. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flip

1 of 3 verb
flipped; flipping
1
: to turn by tossing
flip a coin
2
: to turn over quickly
flip the pages of a magazine
3
: flick entry 2 sense 1
flip a switch
4
: to get excited or angry
you'll flip when you hear this

flip

2 of 3 noun
1
: an act or instance of flipping
2
: a somersault especially in the air

flip

3 of 3 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on flip

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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