flip

verb

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\ ˈflip

flipped; flipping

Definition of flip

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

2a : 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

2a : 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.

3a : 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 mind or composure —often used with out The patient flipped out in manic behavior.She flipped out when she heard about her son's accident.

b : to become very enthusiastic

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

flip

noun

Definition of flip (Entry 2 of 3)

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

adjective

Definition of flip (Entry 3 of 3)

: flippant, impertinent

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing flip Learn More About flip

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 The school wanted the AHSAA to flip its 4:30 semifinal game with the second semifinal game, set for 7:30 that same day. — Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 6 May 2022 That evening, Galle, driving the BMW at 151 mph, struck the back of a 2018 gray Nissan Rogue, causing the SUV to flip multiple times before coming to a halt, according to the report. — Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022 Since the original 2019 event, NDCW has received a warm and welcoming response from many organizations and advocates across the globe who wanted a focus for their activities to flip the narrative. — Nancy Doyle, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022 This year the Northeast District Board allowed Medina to place itself in its own bracket, saying that if the Bees reached the district semifinals, the two semifinals slated to be played at Medina would be flip-flopped with another site. — Joe Magill, cleveland, 21 Feb. 2022 That opened the door for Jacobellis to flip the script and make some history, too. — Eddie Pells And Pat Graham, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022 That opened the door for Jacobellis to flip the script and make some history, too. — Eddie Pells And Pat Graham, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2022 Applying a magnetic field can speed up the process by causing all the spins to flip to up or down, depending on the orientation of the field. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2022 The season premiere opens with the Byrdes in their van, on the brink of exiting their life in the Ozarks and returning to Chicago, only for Marty (Jason Bateman) needing to suddenly swerve, which causes the vehicle to flip over repeatedly. — Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 22 Jan. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Players’ days are structured into blocks, with basketball in the morning and school in the afternoon, that flip-flop the next day. — Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2022 Vance’s flip-flop on Trump might have had something to do with the lack of financial support from early supporters. — Zach Everson, Forbes, 6 May 2022 Bedrocks are a happy medium between a flip-flop and a Chaco: just enough strap and sole but not too much. — Abigail Barronian, Outside Online, 26 Apr. 2022 The California native kicks off his flip-flops as the sun peeks over the hills. — Steven E. Banks, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2022 When temperatures rise, no footwear is more appealing or convenient than a pair of flip-flops. — Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2022 The Game of Thrones actress, 26, stepped out in a tight brown dress that showed off her growing baby bump, completing the look with a brown jacket and fuzzy flip flops. — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE.com, 6 May 2022 Stow extra slippers or flip-flops next to a shoe rack near your door, and encourage family members to make the switch inside. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 26 Apr. 2022 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, notorious for his sweatshirt-and-flip-flops uniform, put his ethos plainly. — Jane Thier, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The suspect, who was wearing flip flops and a red sweat shirt, ran from the area after taking the money. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 17 May 2022 Made from a combination of recycled and natural materials, these flip flops combine comfort with sustainability. — Olivia O'bryon, Forbes, 14 May 2022 The Flip3 is also Samsung's most affordable flip phone to date at just $999 — a massive markdown from the $1,200 price tag for its previous edition, the Flip 5G. — Nina Huang, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2021 But devices like home alarms and medical-alert bracelets do more vital work and are harder to upgrade than a flip phone. — Rob Pegoraro, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2022 In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, which has sweltering temperatures for much of the year, children are ditching their flip flops for skis and hitting the indoor slopes. — New York Times, 15 Feb. 2022 Boomer, the Pacers’ mascot, was giving the crowd a dunk show and capped of his brief display with a front flip rim rocker off a trampoline. — James Boyd, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Mar. 2022 Despite being digital natives, TikToks show that Gen Z is even going back to relics such as flip phones, wired headphones, and vinyl records in their quest to connect with simpler times. — Mahnoor Khan, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2022 The iPhone quickly showed just how clunky previous smartphones and flip phones were. — Ben Zigterman, BGR, 4 Feb. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flip.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.