come a cropper

phrase

Definition of come a croppernext
1
as in collapse
to be unsuccessful To her disappointment, her plan came a cropper.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fall 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 come a cropper
  1. fall short
  2. fall flat
  3. lay an egg
Phrase
  • The Cybertruck's specifications also fell short of those Tesla advertised early on, and in some cases fell short of those offered by leading fuel-burning pickups.
    — Michael Wayland,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Digging deeper into the data showed that AI visibility is falling short of what data is shared.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fall short
Phrase
  • But there is still a risk these climate ambitions may fall flat.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • For the most part, Chéri and Baum simply go full steam ahead, which means that their intermittent attempts to have things both ways usually end up falling flat.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of fall flat
Phrase
  • Same with the Jets, who simply could not go down to Nashville and lay an egg the size of a bowling ball against their former coach, Robert Saleh.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of lay an egg
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

come about
come a cropper
come across
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Cite this Entry

“Come a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/come%20a%20cropper. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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