flip

\ ˈflip

flipped; flipping

Definition of flip

(Entry 1 of 3)

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 outThe 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 Learn More about flip

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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 There are good reasons for Democrats to be upbeat about their chances of netting at least three Senate seats in the fall, which, combined with a Joe Biden presidential victory, would flip the chamber. — Stuart Rothenberg Cq-roll Call (tns), Star Tribune, "A horse-race update on the battle for control of the U.S. Senate," 6 Aug. 2020 For a more even crust, flip the steak often and rest it at a variety of angles. — Matt Haines, CNN Underscored, "Everything you need to grill up a perfectly seared steak," 30 July 2020 The two high players would flip sides of the ice, and dip into the slot to create shots from dangerous areas. — Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, "What to take away from the Stars’ power play as training camp comes to a close," 24 July 2020 Loosen the edges with a spatula, then flip to cook the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute. — Kara Elder, Washington Post, "A Serbian Croatian pancake meets Italian flavors in this family recipe mash-up," 1 July 2020 By Thursday night, though, any rain will quickly flip over to a heavy, wet snow – similar to last Friday night’s 1-3 inch snow event across most of the metro area. — Chris Bianchi, The Denver Post, "Denver weather: No fool, April snow could be on the way," 1 Apr. 2020 Put a slice of cheese on one tortilla and then put the other tortilla on top, cook for two minutes on one side, and then flip and repeat. — Jessica Jones, M.s., R.d.n., SELF, "18 Trader Joe’s Snacks You Really Need to Stock Your Home With," 30 July 2020 These sounds eventually give way to the clock tower’s chime and the click-tick of komboloi–Greek worry beads—that elders flip languidly with their fingers. — Madeleine Speed, WSJ, "Reopened, A Greek Isle Beckons amid the Pandemic," 8 July 2020 Now, the company is taking a bigger step, developing a radio-transparent foam that will flip out from the satellites and prevent reflection. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX will try to launch Starlink satellites with “visors” on Wednesday," 8 July 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But just as important as making the flip flops is un-making them. — Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fighting plastic waste with algae-based flip flops," 11 Aug. 2020 Dozens of shoes lay abandoned just beyond the fence behind the patio at Ned Peppers – flip-flops, sneakers, sandals. — Ceili Doyle, The Enquirer, "Dayton mass shooting: For journalist, ‘An image I can’t get out of my head’," 4 Aug. 2020 In the latest of a series of flip-flops, Abe has ditched his ill-fitting trademark cloth mask for a larger face covering. — Isabel Reynolds, Bloomberg.com, "The Virus Is Ravaging Japan, And Abe May Finally Be Bowing Out," 3 Aug. 2020 These messages were offered without nuance or acknowledgement of uncertainty, so when they were reversed—the virus is worse than the flu; wear masks—the changes seemed like befuddling flip-flops. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "How the Pandemic Defeated America," 3 Aug. 2020 Oil flip-flopped between gains and losses after a U.S. government report showed a mixed supply picture: rising crude inventories and declining gasolines stockpiles. — Washington Post, "Judge dismisses racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler," 8 July 2020 Also discounted are designer shoes, such as these über-popular Tory Burch leather Miller flip flops, which fall from $198 to $132.66. — Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, "Nordstrom is having a huge sale-on-sale and the deals are incredible," 10 July 2020 In lieu of a coin flip, Hadassah poses a match of rock paper scissors, a.k.a. roshambo. — EW.com, "The Politician season 2 binge recap," 19 June 2020 The evolving nature of best practices has absolutely made decisions around mask-wearing confusing, but the term flip-flop isn’t really fair either. — Courtney Shea, refinery29.com, "How To Convince Your Boyfriend* To Wear A Mask," 22 May 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Emergency teams are often called when hikers wearing flip flops are injured. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Accident provides a valuable lesson to anyone heading outdoors," 6 Aug. 2020 High School tight end Arik Gilbert — the Male Athlete of the Year headed for LSU — will appear on the advance flip cover of the September 2020 issue of Sports Illustrated. — Star Tribune, "Hopkins guard Paige Bueckers receives her biggest award yet," 27 July 2020 Thanks to its flip folio cover, this case can double as a slim, discreet wallet. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Corning's Toughest Gorilla Glass Ever Is a Godsend for Your Phone," 24 July 2020 For comparison's sake, Christina invoked the infamous turkey episode, where a rotten turkey carcass left out in the kitchen for an unknown amount of time left a flip project smelling quite horrible. — Joseph Neese, House Beautiful, "Season 9 of 'Flip or Flop' With Christina Anstead and Tarek El Moussa Premieres October 15 on HGTV," 27 June 2020 Being one of Kansas’ five drive-ins, the theater is balancing safe procedures with comfortably accommodating guests, some of whom use flip phones or pay only with cash. — Michele Herrmann, Smithsonian Magazine, "This Is the Summer of the Drive-In Theater," 26 June 2020 For so long, thong flip flops have been the enemy of all those who suffer from chronic foot pains. — Summer Cartwright, PEOPLE.com, "These Comfort Sandals Come With Orthopedic Arch Supports and Still Look So Cute," 1 Aug. 2020 Crocs has comfortable clogs, flip flops and dressy sandals. — oregonlive, "Top fashion designers show off rainbow clothes, shoes, hats: ‘Pride won’t be canceled’," 16 June 2020 Crocs has comfortable clogs, flip flops and dressy sandals. — oregonlive, "Top fashion designers show off rainbow clothes, shoes, hats: ‘Pride won’t be canceled’," 16 June 2020

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.