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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cropper
The family-friend label came a cropper after it was slapped with a multi-million-dollar copyright lawsuit by Disney, Warner Bros. and other major Hollywood studios for making unauthorized cuts – of scenes deemed unsuitable for family viewing by the brothers – to their movies and series.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 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
Zelensky came a cropper when trying the same thing — but his stock soared back home at a time when Trump seems to be trying to oust him.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
DeSantis' landslide will likely turn out to be the historically most important result from last Tuesday, akin to but with even greater consequences than George W. Bush's victory in Texas in 1998, another midterm year in which the GOP otherwise came a cropper.
—Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2022
But on closer inspection, there are differences: This cropper is shirtless, his backside a bit too pert, and the stalks of asparagus growing from the ground are, in fact, penises.
—Max Norman David Chow Victoria Petro-Conroy, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 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
Zelensky came a cropper when trying the same thing — but his stock soared back home at a time when Trump seems to be trying to oust him.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
DeSantis' landslide will likely turn out to be the historically most important result from last Tuesday, akin to but with even greater consequences than George W. Bush's victory in Texas in 1998, another midterm year in which the GOP otherwise came a cropper.
—Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2022
But on closer inspection, there are differences: This cropper is shirtless, his backside a bit too pert, and the stalks of asparagus growing from the ground are, in fact, penises.
—Max Norman David Chow Victoria Petro-Conroy, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cropper
Noun
-
Liverpool’s defeat at Galatasaray saw their title chances drop from 20 to 15 per cent, with their top-eight chances falling to 59 per cent too (from 84).—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The drop in the currency has been driven in part by concerns over Milei’s political support ahead of key midterm elections later this month following a crushing defeat in a local vote in Buenos Aires province in early September.—
Nicolle Yapur,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Griffith and CityBeat reporter Madeline Fening are facing charges, including disorderly conduct, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway and obstructing an emergency responder.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Luckily, clever Frances must have understood her caper was destined for failure.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
High seas and rough surf from two hurricanes have been blamed for the collapse of seven houses on North Carolina's Outer Banks.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
After the collapse, the city placed the building on the dangerous buildings list and issued an order that it being repaired or demolished.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So, a crypto crash will come and may take down our economy with it.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Beyond the mental clarity and razor sharp focus, taking mushrooms like lion’s mane also comes without many of the potential side effects that are typically associated with stimulants like jitters, energy spikes, and mid-day crashes.—
Brianna Peters,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cropper. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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