as in reversals
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
the governor's frequent flip-flops would indicate that she has no core beliefs
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Recent Examples of flip-flops
Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
The song begins as a familiar Mustard piano-and-fingersnaps ballad, as Mai flip-flops between icing her lover out and wanting to hold him close.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Feb. 2026
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
The star embraced warm-weather style a little early, putting a twist on a polarizing footwear style with heeled flip-flops.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Minutes earlier, former reality television star Spencer Pratt stepped out of his Ford F150 and changed from flip-flops into sneakers before walking into the building to file his declaration to run for mayor.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Incidentally, this also indicates that flip-flops will continue to be on trend this coming spring, so stock your shoe racks accordingly.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026
On the western edge of Florida's panhandle, one underrated city offers an oasis of surprising history, a bucolic beachfront—among the best in the nation—and a culture-rich downtown to explore in your flip-flops.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Beijing is also well aware that American democracy is inherently prone to flip-flops and that the hard-line Washington consensus on China is likely to return with the next election.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
Pack a beach tote that’s big enough to fit a book, sun hat, flip-flops, and a cover-up.
—Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
The song begins as a familiar Mustard piano-and-fingersnaps ballad, as Mai flip-flops between icing her lover out and wanting to hold him close.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Feb. 2026
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
The star embraced warm-weather style a little early, putting a twist on a polarizing footwear style with heeled flip-flops.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Minutes earlier, former reality television star Spencer Pratt stepped out of his Ford F150 and changed from flip-flops into sneakers before walking into the building to file his declaration to run for mayor.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Incidentally, this also indicates that flip-flops will continue to be on trend this coming spring, so stock your shoe racks accordingly.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026
On the western edge of Florida's panhandle, one underrated city offers an oasis of surprising history, a bucolic beachfront—among the best in the nation—and a culture-rich downtown to explore in your flip-flops.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Beijing is also well aware that American democracy is inherently prone to flip-flops and that the hard-line Washington consensus on China is likely to return with the next election.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flip-flops
Noun
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There were significant tactical market peaks in January or February in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025, all of them involving momentum reversals and forced rotations as an aggravating factor.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Health experts say Kennedy has made sweeping reversals on these statements.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the show first premiered, dressing as Eleven with a box of Eggo waffles under her arm was a top Halloween costume, and waffles have been featured in every season since.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Dec. 2025
-
Place waffles on warm plates and top with turkey.—
Tribune News Service,
Boston Herald,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Newsom hedges his bets by portraying the budget as a placeholder that covers little more than spending increases driven by law, inflation and caseload until more revenue data are received.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Newsom hedges his bets by portraying the budget as a placeholder that covers little more than spending increases driven by law, inflation and caseload until more revenue data are received.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Grijalva’s swearing-in has sparked a partisan furor on Capitol Hill, as Johnson equivocates on the timeline ahead and Democrats accuse him of delaying the ceremony for political reasons.—
Laura Gersony,
AZCentral.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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For what seems like the first time, Casper equivocates.—
Gary Greenberg,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When Dana peeks in and Robby simply shakes his head no?—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
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Thinking back to the days leading up to the 2025 Daytona 500, Sarah Turner Wells shakes her head in astonishment.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mitski lies on the lawn looking at the girl leaving her, like the witch in Into the Woods when Rapunzel shuns her and then gets promptly trampled by a giant.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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The unfortunate truth is that the agency has lost its way and shuns innovation.—
Ross Marchand,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Here, Linklater eschews the overwrought trappings that these types of movies typically fall into.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Much like the Pebble watches, the Pebble Index 01 eschews the long list of features found in other wearable rings.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Congressional Democrats and watchdog groups have in recent days raised concerns that the group, Freedom 250, created as a subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, lacks transparency, skirts federal rules and allows companies and wealthy individuals to buy access to the president’s office.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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Blakespear also leads a subcommittee focused on improving the 351-mile rail line running from San Luis Obispo to San Diego that skirts the coast in several sections.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flip-flops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flip-flops. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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