coin flip

noun

plural coin flips

1

: a method for randomly choosing between two options that involves tossing a coin up in the air and letting which side is shown when it lands determine the choice

For centuries, people have relied on the coin flip as a fair, unbiased, and quick way to settle disputes, start games, and make decisions. … In theory, a coin flip has a 50% chance of heads and a 50% chance of tails.

—Faddi Shaikh

A state law says when there is a tie and 5,000 or fewer votes in an election, the local board of elections must use a method of random selection, like a coin flip.

—Billy Chapman

Ryan anointed Tomlinson his starter and named him and former Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie captains for the opening coin flip.

—Damon Hack

2

: an even chance : toss-up

It was a total coin flip coming into the season … if it would be Rutherford or Glen Rock representing the Liberty in the four-team postseason.

—Ryan Patti

… there is no way to count more than 100 million votes and get the same count every time. If the vote is close—and that is the only situation where a single vote matters—it is essentially a coin flip.

—Michael Kinsley

Examples of coin flip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If the game stopped at this point, Fermat’s method for dividing the pot would list all possible outcomes of those five coin flips and then tally the ones that amassed 10 points for each player. —Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026

The Jazz and Kings will have a coin flip for the fourth-best lottery odds. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1