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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After England’s decisive defeat, John was forced to confront rebellious barons at home.—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
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The 21-year-old forward’s first-half goal and assist paced the host team to a shocking 3-0 defeat of Sporting KC, marking the Major League Soccer club’s first opening-game exit in this tourney since 2023.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Investigators said pressure from a nearby metal pipe increased stress underground and caused the failure.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Not if, but when coastal conditions change, the city currently retains the ability to reinforce unstable areas or adjust alignments, maintaining continuous access for residents and the public, similar to Coast Walk Trail realignment in 2016 following a trail failure.—
Letters To The Editor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Three Ironworkers Local 401 members died in the collapse.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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In September, federal investigators with the National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a statement the partial collapse of the previous tower likely began from the pool deck, which started collapsing before the rest of the building.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During the chaos, community members like local restaurant owner Ron Grady stepped up to offer warm shelter and food to those who were stranded in the cold due to the massive multi-vehicle crash.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Losada and Collins, who remain close friends, still talk about the crash a year later, helping each other cope with the pain.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cropper. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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