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

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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
Craig Gillespie, 108 minutes The James Gunn era of DC filmmaking took a huge hit with this flop, a movie that has barely made over $120 million, just over half of its likely budget. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Venice last year included several high-profile premieres, but many — Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite — were award season flops. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026
Verb
The second play shows that this column isn't really about whether Clark flops. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 Staking helps protect tall or large-flowered dahlias from breakage and flopping over, especially after rain or strong wind. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 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
  • Next week, for the first time ever, Taiwan will deliberately slow its mobile internet speed, testing how citizens would communicate if bandwidth becomes scarce in emergencies ranging ⁠from disasters to a Chinese invasion.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There was another near disaster when, two weeks out from the wedding, the couple learned their venue couldn’t accommodate them.
    — Jessica Salter, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • In the comics, Battleworld stitched together all the different worlds and plopped every hero and their variant into one new universe.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • An 82-year-old Italian woman who isn't plopping herself in a chair and knitting sweaters all day long.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of plop
Verb
  • Talks between his management and White collapsed in 2011, and the deal only closed when Lorenzo Fertitta stepped in.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But now, the facade was about to collapse, leaving his community grappling with the fallout.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Maybe the manager didn’t feel like flapping their arms to dry them, seeing as how the cookline handwash sink didn’t have paper towels or a blower.
    — David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Generally, to be considered autistic, a person must have exhibited social difficulties and repetitive behaviors—such as hand-flapping and spinning—from before the age of 5.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of flap
Noun
  • The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • These failures stemmed not from new vulnerabilities, but from basic security flaws like weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints, and reliance on assumptions over robust controls.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Verb
  • For that bit of hilarious historical synchronicity alone, Asked and Answered is worth folding into your more fantastical exotics, or even a sawbuck on the nose.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One employee watching over a T-Mobile charging station sat on a folding chair with his shoes half-submerged in a puddle.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of fold
Verb
  • All around them, guests smiled and laughed as children screamed with excitement and giggled each time a butterfly fluttered close.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Young people fluttered about, wearing custom white T-shirts emblazoned with the festival’s retro cartoon-style poster art.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of flutter
Noun
  • Most obviously, if IBM is so innovative, why have its own blockchain efforts proven a bust, and why is its broader business strategy in tatters?
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • There is a parade Saturday morning in Canton, followed by the enshrinement ceremony at noon, where his bust will also be unveiled.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 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 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flop

Nglish: Translation of flop for Spanish Speakers

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