How to Use flap in a Sentence

flap

1 of 2 noun
  • She opened the tent flap and crawled outside.
  • What to do with the brakes and with the flaps and with the guns.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2024
  • At the shopping mall, Ethan opened the flap of the claw machine.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024
  • It is located in the hollow just in front of the flap of the ear.
    Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024
  • Tuck both small side flaps and one long flap into the box.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022
  • There should be 2 open flaps on the square that was just folded..
    Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 4 Feb. 2024
  • The latter triggers a large, flat flap to raise over the rear seats.
    Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The flock carved the air with steeply banked turns and without a single wing flap.
    Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2022
  • If a child misses and knocks the bottom flap, they get soaked.
    Parents Editors, Parents, 6 July 2023
  • Gently, fold over the flaps on each end, firmly hugging the sides of the egg roll.
    Rebecca White, Dallas News, 15 June 2023
  • To close it, cinch the top drawstring and then snap down the covering flap.
    Rena Behar, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2023
  • So the pilot pulls the flaps in and can set the engine to produce less power.
    Craig Merrett, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
  • The new kit adds flaps and air curtains along with a wheel arch Gurney flap at the front.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 July 2023
  • The second flap on the rear fender, which hides the SAE J1772 charging port, is an easy way to tell the two apart.
    Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 6 Apr. 2023
  • His nose was split on both sides, just hanging off his face like a flap.
    Charles McCrary, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
  • Fun facts like these hide behind flaps throughout the book.
    Megan Gambino, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Tuck in the flap as deeply as possible, and crease the remaining edge to seal.
    Joe Difazio, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2023
  • White bone stuck out of her nose, her forehead and her chin, where skin hung down like a flap.
    John Branch, New York Times, 9 Dec. 2023
  • The switch snaps into place with magnets, and a flap covers the marker.
    Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2022
  • Side flap pockets adorn the wide-leg shape for an easy take on the utility trend.
    Paula Lee, Glamour, 19 Dec. 2023
  • When traveling at speeds over 28 mph, a six-inch hood flap opens and forces the air up and over the cockpit.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2023
  • The style is structured and slim fitting with a button flap on the waist that eliminates the need for a belt.
    Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 27 Jan. 2023
  • Just be mindful of cleanup—more opening and flaps also means more crevices to clean.
    Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Being able to open up the top flap and stand up for an extra-high view of the surroundings was nice, too.
    Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 11 Oct. 2022
  • The brightly colored tent, a patchwork of red, orange and blue, flaps in the tundra wind.
    Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023
  • Slide the other long flap into the box, tucking it between the inner fold and the opposite side of the box.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022
  • These flaps stay flat courtesy of magnets, so there are no zippers to fuss with.
    James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, 6 July 2023
  • The pillowcase had a flap to keep the pillow in securely, too.
    Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 14 July 2023
  • Also, the flap opens up to reveal three fasteners and a pouch and hooks for necklaces.
    Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 27 July 2023
  • The chest flap pocket has a pen divider and the lower patch pockets have a side entry for your hands.
    Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2023
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flap

2 of 2 verb
  • The breeze flapped the sails.
  • The flag flapped in the breeze.
  • The bird's wings were flapping.
  • The vultures flapped wings that were wider than the men were tall.
    Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Don’t run or flap your arms, as air can fan the flames and cause the fire to grow.
    oregonlive, 2 Nov. 2021
  • Her hands quivered and seemed to want to flap-paddle the air.
    New York Times, 17 May 2022
  • Fold the baseline flap over the filling, roll one turn, fold in the left and right sides to seal the edges of the roll.
    Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2022
  • Some days, the tarp on the canopy tent would come untied, flap loudly in the wind and wake me.
    Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2023
  • On the ground, though, the child continued to flap his arms in the air, not brushing the snow at all.
    Melissa Locker, Time, 9 Jan. 2020
  • Her extended arms hold a sail-like form as if to flap it in the wind.
    Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023
  • Snap the canvas flap onto the canoe and drape it over your gun.
    Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 18 Feb. 2021
  • Right now, the large white tents that flap in the stiff winds give a temporary feel to the mission.
    Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2020
  • In a small plaza outside the house, the flags of the United States, Illinois and Ireland now flap in the breeze.
    Jay Jones, chicagotribune.com, 16 Dec. 2021
  • It is strung with streamers that flap in the wind, shooing birds away.
    Lela Nargi, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2022
  • Your goal is not to flap your arms like a bird to take flight, like the name suggests—squeezing is the name of the game here.
    Brett Williams, Men's Health, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Sillosock flyers, $25 each, come on a 3-foot stake and flap their wings in a breeze.
    Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2023
  • As potatoes go rolling or greeting cards flap in the wind, a trap is laid.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2020
  • But once those ears flap, there’s no denying the majesty of an African elephant.
    Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2023
  • The T-shirt that had been knotted at her waist flapped loose behind her.
    Addie Citchens, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
  • The bot can’t flap, but the mechanical skeleton has a few of the same joints as a bird’s wings.
    Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Jan. 2020
  • This flying robot isn't meant to flap its wings like a bug.
    Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 16 May 2021
  • The font closure zips closed with a snap-front placket and a storm flap to keep out wind, rain, and snow.
    Mike Richard, Men's Health, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Crab plover birds and green herons flap here and there among the trees, landing to stalk across the soft sediment.
    Barry Neild, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022
  • The video ends in the midst of the struggle, with the goose attempting to flap its way to safety, towing the turtle across the pond in the process.
    Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 9 Nov. 2023
  • Cardi D began to flap her wings as McWilliams pulled her out of the fountain and placed her back in the stroller.
    Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
  • Fahrenheit and their flight muscles warm up enough to flap away from the cluster.
    Ryan Fonsecastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2023
  • Failing that, the bags will continue to flap in the trees, flag-like, in triumph.
    Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2020
  • It is formed by long lines of rope, tethered to fence posts and hung with strips of red fabric that dance and flap in the breeze.
    Morgan Heim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021
  • In it, he is seen greeting Robbie as Barbie and her friends with his fin flapping out of the water.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
  • On several balconies, laundry hung out to dry was still flapping in the winter breeze.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024

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

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