belly flop
noun
1
: a dive (as into water or in coasting prone on a sled) in which the front of the body strikes flat against another surface
called also belly flopper
2
: a complete and often painful or embarrassing failure : flop
… instead of doing a belly flop at the box office, Vampire soared …—
Jeff Gordinier
Jeff Gordinier
belly flop
intransitive verb
Examples of belly flop in a Sentence
She did a belly flop into the pool.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Rangers rank third after a fantastic first two months followed by a 12-19 belly flop into the All-Star break.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 July 2023
But this weekend's rivalry game against South Carolina will give a huge boost after the Gamecocks' win against Tennessee and North Carolina would still represent a very quality win in the ACC championship game even after the Tar Heels' belly flop against Georgia Tech.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2022
The mixture of belly flops and awkward falls off balance beams is simply intoxicating.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2023
Texas likes to make a splash even if that splash is a belly flop.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
First, visitors must step into the cycle area, straddle the seat, then kneel onto a padded area, and then lean forward — not really a belly flop but akin to it.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2023
If any further punctuation was needed, Babylon opened to a resounding belly flop at the box office.
—Gregg Kilday, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2023
While the screenplay by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver is a major step up from the original, it’s still preachy, predictable, and full of dialogue that lands with a thud, or rather, a belly flop.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Dec. 2022
But there was for the Bears, who followed a 38-35 win in Norman with a complete belly flop at home against Kansas State in a 31-3 loss.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2022
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Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 July 2023
But this weekend's rivalry game against South Carolina will give a huge boost after the Gamecocks' win against Tennessee and North Carolina would still represent a very quality win in the ACC championship game even after the Tar Heels' belly flop against Georgia Tech.
—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 22 Nov. 2022
The mixture of belly flops and awkward falls off balance beams is simply intoxicating.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2023
Texas likes to make a splash even if that splash is a belly flop.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
First, visitors must step into the cycle area, straddle the seat, then kneel onto a padded area, and then lean forward — not really a belly flop but akin to it.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2023
If any further punctuation was needed, Babylon opened to a resounding belly flop at the box office.
—Gregg Kilday, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2023
While the screenplay by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver is a major step up from the original, it’s still preachy, predictable, and full of dialogue that lands with a thud, or rather, a belly flop.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Dec. 2022
But there was for the Bears, who followed a 38-35 win in Norman with a complete belly flop at home against Kansas State in a 31-3 loss.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'belly flop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Dictionary Entries Near belly flop
Cite this Entry
“Belly flop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly%20flop. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
belly flop
noun
: a dive (as into the water) in which the front of the body lands flat
belly flop
verb
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