flop 1 of 2

noun

Definition of flopnext
as in disaster
something that has failed the movie is such a flop that theaters showing it are the loneliest places in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flop

2 of 2

verb

ˈfläp How to pronounce flop (audio)
1
as in to plop
to throw or set down clumsily or casually they lazily flopped themselves onto the couch to watch the game flopped the bag of groceries onto the counter

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful the attempt to run the ball into the end zone flopped, and our team lost by five points

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to flap
to move or cause to move with a striking motion a fish flopping around on the dock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of flop
Noun
Thus, no sooner was Digger declared one of the biggest flops of all time than the reclamation project got underway. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Affleck has weathered his own box office flops over the course of his decades-long career. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
The notorious Grand Theft Auto 6 leaker seems to be hitting pause after the group’s newest effort to rake in funds appears to have flopped. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026 Meta’s previous efforts in this space and its big bet on the metaverse have largely flopped, but the company is convinced things will be different this time. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flop
  1. disaster
  2. plop
  3. collapse
  4. flap
  5. failure
  6. fold
  7. flutter
  8. bust
Noun
  • Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 69 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network ahead of a national election.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The new rail disaster can't help the prospects of his Socialist party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto Phobos by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in the moon's extraordinarily low gravity.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • One time, a very famous chef served my dining companion a gorgeous ten-piece dessert while plopping a giant wedge of cheese on my plate.
    — Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of plop
Verb
  • Scientists previously believed that flexible connectors caused structures to collapse into disorder.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • That contributed to a crazy final quarter that featured 10 drives, six total touchdowns and three touchdown passes from Cutforth to drag the Broncos away from one of the worst collapses in recent Boise State history.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Birds chirp in the tree branches above, and a large yellow butterfly alights on a leaf before flapping away into the sloping sunshine.
    — Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026
  • That means the bird species flapping around in backyards today are effectively the only surviving dinosaurs.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of flap
Noun
  • Even if Theranos had a functioning testing machine, the economic model on which is was based would result in failure.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Even among voters who want Republicans to retain control, 17% cited weak AI and data center oversight — second only to a failure to bring down prices.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Verb
  • Deadline hears that the BBC has held tentative discussions about whether Sounds could be folded in with iPlayer to create a single streaming service for video and audio, not unlike Netflix and YouTube.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The headphones are more flexible than ever, too—just fold them up to pack them away for a trip.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fold
Verb
  • Jackson threw a lateral to wide receiver Tucker Cusano, who was supposed to throw downfield, but the ball appeared to slip out of his hand and fluttered into the air.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The big night As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flutter
Noun
  • The dark comedy centers on Malina and Viktor, a sister and brother getting by on the fringes of post-Communist Macedonia by pilfering busts of national heroes cast in bronze, along with manhole covers, and selling off the metal.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The singer went all out with the look, sporting a tall white wig and an oversized faux bust.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of bust

Browse Nearby Words

floozy
flop
flop (down)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flop. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of candidate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All