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

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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

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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

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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

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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
Written by Joe Eszterhas, the writer behind Basic Instinct and Sliver, Showgirls was a flop when it was released, although the movie costarring Gina Gershon and Kyle MacLachlan has become a cult classic over the decades. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2026 Allowing older growth to flop would hold too much moisture around the crown over the winter. — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
In this year’s mayoral primary, Raman raised less money than Bass and Pratt and flopped during their one debate against each other. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Nobody likes to see their sunflowers flopping over—and according to Nancy Awot-Traut, a horticulture specialist at Burpee, there can be several reasons why this happens. — Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 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
  • Although major questions remained unanswered on Thursday about the attacker and his motive, the story of ordinary passengers saving the FlyDubai flight from disaster has quickly become the stuff of legend.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Second were unarmed passengers who subdued the armed attacker before one pulled back on the yoke to level the aircraft, drawing on knowledge from an air-disaster documentary.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • This is different to me than, say, a re-creation of the Eiffel Tower being plopped into Las Vegas, which is preying on replication as generic spectacle.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The party took over the many rooms of the hotel’s restaurant, where guests could plop into booths and enjoy passing french fries, or mingle with a martini near DJ Jade Croo.
    — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of plop
Verb
  • Four American tourists died on Friday after a building collapsed due to a gas explosion in Athens, Greece, in a neighborhood near the Acropolis.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The possibility -- even likelihood -- of some rickety old thing collapsing under me never occurred to me.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • That means the bird species flapping around in backyards today are effectively the only surviving dinosaurs.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Real manta rays propel themselves by rhythmically flapping and undulating their enormous pectoral fins.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of flap
Noun
  • Let Congress know how dire the situation is (or will be, if there’s a failure to act).
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The stunning failure in Tennessee's execution chamber on Wednesday has left both sides of the death penalty debate demanding answers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of failure
Verb
  • If not, find another box or even a large, zippered plastic bag that’s big enough to accommodate the wig without folding it.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The album folded electronic textures, orchestral flourishes, studio experimentation and huge melodies into songs that wrestled with politics, mortality, love, fear and the strange business of being alive.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of fold
Verb
  • The sparrows fluttered into the air, wings beating against each other in panic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Shirts were punctuated by knife pleats that ballooned in the back, while cascading pleats fluttered down the side of skirts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of flutter
Noun
  • Meta was considered a bust on AI except for the power angle, which is covered well by Entergy’s nuclear power plants.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The ensemble, loosely based on a design from Saint Laurent’s fall 2017 ready-to-wear collection, per Chali’s stylist Chris Horan, was crafted with a velvety fabric and a sheer element at the bust for a sensual edge.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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