came a cropper

phrase

past tense of come a cropper
1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful To her disappointment, her plan came a cropper.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fell short
to go wrong He tried to scale the fence but came a cropper.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for came a cropper
  1. fell short
  2. fell flat
Phrase
  • Zoom Communications — Shares fell 7% after its third-quarter forecast fell short of analyst expectations.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The ball also fell short of the record for the most expensive sports ball.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fell short
Phrase
  • The habeas corpus action represented a last-ditch legal effort by Maxwell to secure her release after her appeals fell flat.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Just last year, Nate Bargatze entered Emmys night as a peak-of-fame comedian, and ended the evening as the object of mass audience disgruntlement after a running joke about winners’ lengthy speeches taking money away from children in need fell flat.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fell flat
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.

Browse Nearby Words

came about
came a cropper
came across
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Cite this Entry

“Came a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/came%20a%20cropper. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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