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 House of Representatives:Will Republicans flip the House in midterm elections? — Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2022 Stefanik’s seat in Congress is a safe Republican one and most likely will not flip blue to Castelli. — Houston Keene, Fox News, 28 Sep. 2022 Charcuterie board connoisseurs will flip for this bamboo serving board, which includes a slide-out drawer with four cheese tools, as well as a laser engraving of your recipient's last name. — Corinne Sullivan, Good Housekeeping, 28 Sep. 2022 Charcuterie lovers will flip for this cheese board set, which includes four stainless steel cheese tools all stored in a pretty wooden swivel board. — Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 27 Sep. 2022 This isn’t to say the bills won’t flip some elections in favor of Republicans. — Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2022 The series, which will flip between the perspective of the swindlers and that of their victims, will air on Quest Red early next year. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 July 2022 Each magnet will flip its orientation back and forth, trying to align with its neighbors. — Quanta Magazine, 18 July 2022 Animation geeks old and young alike will flip over this precious little Totoro. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 12 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While Thatcher was regarded then and now as a conviction politician who embodied her beliefs, Truss has been accused of being a political chameleon, flip-flopping on major policies and criticized for lacking hard-and-fast principles. — Patrick Smith, NBC News, 6 Sep. 2022 Newsom deserves credit for flip-flopping — usually considered a political no-no — and having the guts to change his mind. — George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2022 Some of Fauci’s apparent flip-flopping was legitimately due to evolving evidence, but some of them were overconfident predictions. — WSJ, 29 Aug. 2022 The same viruses that seed outbreaks in the south tend to be the ones that sprout epidemics here as the seasons do their annual flip. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2022 Like the coin flip above, this Siri feature essentially emulates the Magic 8 Ball by providing you with quippy answers to your questions. — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 27 Aug. 2022 When the bottom is golden brown, flip and cook until the second side is golden and the cheese melts. — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 23 Aug. 2022 In 2007, Republican Fred Thompson was mocked for sporting Gucci loafers, which stood out among the more common flip-flops and cowboy boots of attendees. — Thomas Beaumont, ajc, 21 Aug. 2022 Hispanics are leaving the Democratic Party in droves, especially in states like Texas and Florida, as was evident by the south Texas seat flip Flores pulled off this year. — Fox News, 19 Aug. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Police responded to the scene and collected the beer can and cigarette butt, as well as a flip phone that was registered to Raia’s wife, authorities said. — Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2022 The car is over 10 years old, leading the infotainment to look a bit too much like your first flip phone. — Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2022 So, who’s to stop us from leveling up our flip flops? — Meg Donohue, ELLE, 6 Sep. 2022 Samsung is expected to announce its next-generation Flip 4 phone – which opens like a clamshell, a design reminiscent of flip phones from the early 2000s – as well as the Z Fold 4, which opens outward like a book to form a tablet. — Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 At that time, text messaging was just starting with the advent of smarter mobile devices (think flip phones as that new innovation). — Howard Rosen, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 Many got creative and used their flip flops as paddles. — oregonlive, 10 July 2022 But in an anxious hurry to flip switches, Colgrove accidentally pressed the wrong button — the one that triggered the car to play the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile tune. — Cady Stanton, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2022 Gonzalez, who grew up there, said it’s becoming harder for locals to remain, as rents are going up and landlords look to flip homes for wealthier tenants. — Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 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.