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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in folding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flopping
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
Still quieter than the music playing and the grunts of the adults flopping, the yelling of Tap and You okay?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Domnhall Gleeson stars as the new editor-in-chief of a flopping Toledo newspaper tasked with revitalising its output.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
So housing’s either flopping or popping.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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
Still quieter than the music playing and the grunts of the adults flopping, the yelling of Tap and You okay?
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Domnhall Gleeson stars as the new editor-in-chief of a flopping Toledo newspaper tasked with revitalising its output.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
So housing’s either flopping or popping.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flopping
Verb
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Kopankiewicz said the small dog instantly made herself at home, plopping right into his friend's lap.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
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From the Curly Girl Method to T-shirt plopping techniques, there’s no shortage of viral curl styling hacks to to pull from your TikTok feed.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last week, as financial panic escalated following Milei’s party’s poor showing in local elections, Argentina’s central bank spent more than $1 billion of its foreign currency reserves to keep the peso from collapsing.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
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Long after John Quincy Adams passed away in 1848 (collapsing of a stroke while working at his desk in the Capitol), newer versions emerged—as Jim Crow laws, after the failure of Reconstruction in the 1870s, and later as the filibuster during the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century.—
Time,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir (6ft 6in) was left flapping at a Declan Rice corner as Riccardo Calafiori nodded home, Raya easily dealt with similar issues later in the game, catching one delivery and punching the other well away from danger.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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These behaviors included; lifting one leg, spinning around on a perch, and flapping their wings on command (Figure 1B).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Samsung’s tri-folding phone could be expensive and niche like its Galaxy Z Fold, which only recently began gaining traction.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
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According to data from market research firm IDC, the average selling price of folding phones is nearly three times higher than that of normal smartphones — roughly $1,218 vs. $421 for non-folding phones.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Pests, disease, and weather can all play a part in unsightly stretches of brown grass, and tossing some grass seed over the area may not be the answer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
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Reuters reported that the actor could be seen tossing water bottles into the crowd.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most of the charges are for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer or failing to obey a lawful order, the district attorney’s office said in press releases.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
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Of course, everyone isn't innately open to failing or recovering from setbacks.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sitting at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the village is known for its year-round recreation and ubiquitous aspen trees, which make a stunning (albeit short) shift from fluttering green to bright yellow and orange with hints of red.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
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Yet there is still a whiff of old-fashioned British grandeur about the production, with its fluttering pennants, Norman kite shields, and mounted knights.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Information that was missing also caught the attention of the experts Joan consulted.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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But a chunk of the typical campus demographic was missing.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flopping. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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