comes a cropper

phrase

present tense third-person singular of come a cropper
1
as in fails
to be unsuccessful To her disappointment, her plan came a cropper.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in falls 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 comes a cropper
  1. falls short
  2. falls flat
Phrase
  • If those two perspectives are not constantly brought back together, scope creep, miscommunication and misaligned priorities can quickly follow, resulting in a product that falls short of solving the user's problem.
    — Laila Burns, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Why fiber matters and juice falls short The biggest catch with juice is what’s missing.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 21, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of falls short
Phrase
  • On the downside, the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) isn’t fleshed out enough and the chemistry between Bale and Katie Holmes, as an assistant DA and the childhood friend of Bruce’s, falls flat.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • The Song of Ice and Fire, passed down from one Targaryen king to another all these years, falls flat here.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of falls 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

comes about
comes a cropper
comes across
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Cite this Entry

“Comes a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comes%20a%20cropper. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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