as in folding
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1
as in plopping
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 collapsing
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 flapping
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
a fish flopping around on the dock
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Recent Examples of flopping
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Perspectives 🏁 The viral video of a Kansas referee seemingly flopping during a high school girl’s basketball game is a bad look.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Splinter after splinter flopping onto the stone threshold, tsss, tsss, hissing like a nest of vipers.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
This Colombian has been flopping in the US since 2003, has apparently not had a job since 2014.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
Stiller’s character attempts to match the athletic feat in a heated rage by climbing high and belly-flopping right onto a drum kit as the music powers on.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Perspectives 🏁 The viral video of a Kansas referee seemingly flopping during a high school girl’s basketball game is a bad look.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Splinter after splinter flopping onto the stone threshold, tsss, tsss, hissing like a nest of vipers.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
This Colombian has been flopping in the US since 2003, has apparently not had a job since 2014.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flopping
Adjective
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The first few generations of those devices had subpar cameras compared to standard, non-folding phones and a visible crease running down the middle, among other shortcomings.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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Samsung has equipped the TriFold with 45-watt wired and 15-watt wireless charging, while Vivo’s non-folding X300 Pro, for example, reaches 90 watts wired and 40 watts wirelessly, and has a larger battery to boot.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Oliver eliminates one pole-climbing threat by plopping a hat on his head, leading to a big fall — then takes this as an opportunity to evict his squatter.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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River life is inaccessible, a closed world, the flicker of silver fin, a plopping frog.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Already too much of Havana – a once beautiful city now littered with debris from buildings collapsing under years of neglect – looks like a war zone.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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The demonstrations began in late December in response to the collapsing value of the national currency -- the rial -- before morphing into a wider anti-regime movement which drew backing from dissidents abroad and Western governments.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team also discovered that rays using undulatory, wave-like swimming had better ground clearance than those with purely oscillatory, flapping motions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Soon after, federal agents began tossing tear gas toward the crowd and police, who were not wearing protective gear, video shows.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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For more than 60 years (approximately 1906 to 1967), three beaches in Fort Bragg were used as dump sites, with people tossing household goods, glass, and more into the sea without much thought about the environmental consequences.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Earlier this month, McIntyre, who’d been feuding with Fatu prior to Fatu’s TV absence, finally toppled Rhodes after previously failing to do so multiple occasions.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Prior to Gonzales’ trial, Eiglarsh told CNN there was a wide gap between an officer failing to follow proper protocol and acting criminally.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The metallic silver dress featured dense sequins, subtle corsetry through the waist, and a fluttering midiskirt that shifted with movement.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
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With 10 minutes to spare before a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and Lamar Boulevard, at least 50 protesters were already showing up with drums, saxophones, homemade signs and fluttering American flags to protest ICE's killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For these groups, missing doses can have life-altering consequences.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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What remains missing is a full economic and social impact study, released publicly for review and comment.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flopping. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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