1
as in plopped
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
Relevance
2
as in collapsed
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 flapped
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 flopped
The willingness to protect meaning over volume is precisely what has made the brand more culturally relevant than numerous others that came up alongside it and flopped.
—
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
His first attempt, a dystopian fantasy, had flopped.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Their plan flopped spectacularly.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Caruso had one of the greatest games of his career, but everyone else flopped.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 23 May 2026
As in most insurance company failures, PHL flopped for several reasons.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 20 May 2026
That flopped, as have all subsequent attempts to protect nature permanently and on a large scale through the use of markets.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Brad Stevens, Fred Hoiberg, John Calipari, Tim Floyd, Lon Kruger, Mike Montgomery, Leonard Hamilton all left college to try the NBA, and most flopped.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
Steve flopped his head down on the table.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
His first attempt, a dystopian fantasy, had flopped.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Their plan flopped spectacularly.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Caruso had one of the greatest games of his career, but everyone else flopped.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 23 May 2026
As in most insurance company failures, PHL flopped for several reasons.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 20 May 2026
That flopped, as have all subsequent attempts to protect nature permanently and on a large scale through the use of markets.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Brad Stevens, Fred Hoiberg, John Calipari, Tim Floyd, Lon Kruger, Mike Montgomery, Leonard Hamilton all left college to try the NBA, and most flopped.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
Steve flopped his head down on the table.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flopped
Verb
-
Now and then something dropped from the tree and plopped into the water.—
Byron W. Dalrymple,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
Morris plopped her into her chair with a grunt of relief and pulled out the sunshade.—
Stephen King,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the film investigates evidence that Greenland’s ice sheet collapsed in the past and asks what that reveals about the planet’s future.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
Crucially, the study found that a major sanctuary called Amyklai remained active after the palace collapsed, and later became important to both Spartans and Lakedaimonians.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Kerolin’s head was down and eventually so was Shaw’s, her run stopped, arms flapped against her side.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Astros nearly scored the go-ahead run when Yordan Alvarez tried to score on an overthrow, but Bachman was backing up the plate and tossed the ball to catcher Logan O’Hoppe in time to get him.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
If the toys aren’t in use or have seen their fair share of play, they can be tossed.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Nursing home operators argued the state failed to properly account for the medical complexity of residents when calculating those payments, reducing reimbursement for facilities caring for some of the sickest patients.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
Towns called it a collective joy when the Spurs failed to score on the final possession.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Crossing an overpass into my western suburb of Baghdad, militia flags stamped with Ali Khamenei’s face fluttered in the wind.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
-
Xi and a line-up of his top officials shook hands with the Russian president, before the relaxed-looking leaders stood shoulder to shoulder during a gun salute, while a military band played and Russian and Chinese flags fluttered in the background.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The vehicle has 78 cubic feet of storage space when the rear seats are folded, 44 cubic feet when just the back row is folded, and 15 cubic feet when all seats are in use.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
10 June 2026
-
Paul Turnley was presented with a British flag folded into a triangle given by the military in honor of the sacrifice of his relation, Pvt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Jalen Brunson has 19 points to lead New York, but the Knicks have struggled to avoid fouls on defense and struggled to make foul shots on the other end.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
Rushing out onto the beach, George struggled to comprehend what had happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flopped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flopped. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
