flophouse

noun

flop·​house ˈfläp-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce flophouse (audio)
Synonyms of flophousenext
: a cheap rooming house or hotel

Examples of flophouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our flophouse in Harlem was growing crowded. Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026 Back in the day, the LaSalle Hotel was a flophouse, just about the only place for downtown residents. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 In one stunning moment, Marty, trying to take a shower in a flophouse, ends up falling through the ceiling and onto a shady man (Abel Ferrara) trying to give his dog a bath in the unit below. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026 Meanwhile, crime raged out of control in the flophouses. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flophouse

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flophouse was in 1916

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Cite this Entry

“Flophouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flophouse. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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