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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
  • When that falls short, Liliom’s life quickly devolves, leaving audiences to wonder if bad deeds are a question of character or circumstance.
    — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Transit advocates, however, fell short on their push for extra dollars.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fall short
Phrase
  • But the fantasy-death quiz falls flat and feels more like a second defeat than a comedy tag.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, the administration has proposed cutting more than 9,400 of my fellow workers and launched a new effort to privatize TSA — Horizon 25 — after the TSA Gold+ privatization campaign fell flat.
    — Hydrick Thomas, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Come a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/come%20a%20cropper. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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