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
In Episode 2, wouldn’t tech-savvy Claudette have a proper iPhone case that would survive a three-story belly flop?
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An early version of Starship tried to bleed off that kinetic energy with a kind of aerodynamic belly flop that ended in a catastrophic loss of control.
—Adam Rogers, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
In short, the potential for a legendary belly flop in season two was massive.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 July 2025
He belly flopped onto the ice in ecstasy and relief before he was mobbed by his teammates, and then the game stopped to celebrate the greatest goal scorer who ever lived.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly flop
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Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An early version of Starship tried to bleed off that kinetic energy with a kind of aerodynamic belly flop that ended in a catastrophic loss of control.
—Adam Rogers, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025
In short, the potential for a legendary belly flop in season two was massive.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 July 2025
He belly flopped onto the ice in ecstasy and relief before he was mobbed by his teammates, and then the game stopped to celebrate the greatest goal scorer who ever lived.
—Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belly flop
Cite this Entry
“Belly flop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belly%20flop. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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