flip side

noun

variants or less commonly flipside

ˈflip-ˌsīd 

plural flip sides also flipsides

1

: the reverse side of a phonograph record

[Taylor] Swift has an exclusive 7-inch single of "The Lakes" … On the flip side: "The Lakes (original version)," an orchestral take on the song not previously available on vinyl.

—Mike Snider

also : a song presented on the flip side of a record

The flip side of The Stone Poneys' "Different Drum" was the Pamela Polland composition "I've Got to Know."

—Warren Kurtz

2

: a reverse or opposite side, aspect, or result

The flipside of the disquieting inflation news is good news on the state of the economy …

—Paul Wiseman

Sixteen City Council members are stepping down, which means fresh faces and new ideas—but on the flip side, a huge loss of institutional knowledge about the basics of how the city operates …

—The Chicago Sun-Times

Examples of flip side in a Sentence

That song was on the flip side of their first single.

Loss of privacy is the flip side of fame.

Recent Examples on the Web

And so the city has really been focused on looking at the flip side of that statistic. —Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026

On the flip side, pessimism is widespread in the media industry. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

While modern California winemaking is filled with the names of French natives leaving a mark there—like Michel Rolland, Philippe Melka, Jean-Charles Boisset, and Julien Fayard—there is almost no flip side to that story. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2026

On the flip side, there’s companies recruiters who are receiving lots of applications. —Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for flip side

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied