as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
more than a few people were glad to see the obnoxiously smug skater come a cropper at the national championships
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Recent Examples of cropper
Two weeks after Alt’s ankle was mangled, depriving Herbert of his blindside protector, the quarterback and the offense came a cropper in a 30-6 blowout at Jacksonville in mid-November.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump administration says aid is a bridge to a more stable future
The Trump administration insists that the aid package will help farmers, and placed the blame on former President Joe Biden for the struggle that many croppers are fighting now.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More recently, soybean croppers were angered by the financial support lent to Argentina, which went on to ship large quantities of its own soybeans to China.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Still, with the disappointing box office of the first Horizon, the lack of Horizon II on the big screen, and third and fourth installments of Horizon looking as likely as a return of the Wild West itself, however this case ends up sorted, Costner may still come a cropper.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
In January, 1813, at York Castle, fourteen croppers stood trial for rioting and machine breaking, which Parliament had deemed a capital offense in the new Frame-Breaking Act.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Trump administration says aid is a bridge to a more stable future
The Trump administration insists that the aid package will help farmers, and placed the blame on former President Joe Biden for the struggle that many croppers are fighting now.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Jan. 2026
More recently, soybean croppers were angered by the financial support lent to Argentina, which went on to ship large quantities of its own soybeans to China.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Still, with the disappointing box office of the first Horizon, the lack of Horizon II on the big screen, and third and fourth installments of Horizon looking as likely as a return of the Wild West itself, however this case ends up sorted, Costner may still come a cropper.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
In January, 1813, at York Castle, fourteen croppers stood trial for rioting and machine breaking, which Parliament had deemed a capital offense in the new Frame-Breaking Act.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cropper
Noun
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Stafford also engineered late game-winning drives in playoff victories over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears before the Rams suffered a 31-27 defeat by the Seahawks in the NFC championship.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Seattle bounced back from a defeat against the Ducks at Honda Center 24 hours earlier that snapped a four-game win streak.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Republicans argue the region’s frustrations reflect years of structural failures under Cooper’s disaster management system, stretching back to earlier storms.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
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Advocates say overcrowding is at the center of many of the jail's ongoing problems, from maintenance failures to safety concerns, and argue that recent flooding highlights deeper, long-standing issues.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His exit was immediate; he has been replaced by the mayor pro tem, just as Sawyer replaced Nail before the collapse of the police force, and the council will decide whether to hold a special election later this month.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Three years before the balcony collapse that severely injured 10 people, the condo's property manager hired engineers and contractors.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Truck crashes in Philippines; 9 dead MANILA, Philippines -- A truck veered off a downhill mountain road and plunged into a ravine in the central Philippines, killing nine workers on board, investigators said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Before the crash, officers on the ground exchanged gunfire with the shooting suspect.—
Stephen Sorace , Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cropper. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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