as in disasters
something that has failed
the movie is such a flop that theaters showing it are the loneliest places in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in collapses
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 flaps
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
a fish flopping around on the dock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flops
Abby Dodge, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
But what happens when such a bold film flops, both critically and commercially, as Jarmusch’s, alas, did?
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
From financial wipeouts to baffling misreads of beloved source material, some of Hollywood’s most notorious flops began as video games.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
If Quinn Ewers gets a chance in December and flops, then go back to Tagovailoa.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
In the aftermath of the attack, strollers were left behind on the lawn, discarded as parents grabbed their children and ran, throwing off their flip flops, to flee the bullets and find shelter.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Previous legal efforts, for example South Korean and Chinese laws banning video games at night, were found to be flops.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Nintendo has its share of flops, failed experiments, and puzzling business decisions–as does every firm.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, a string of box office flops led 20th Century Fox to sell off much of its backlot, just north of the 10 Freeway, to real estate developers in 1961, creating what would be Century City.
—Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
At one point, Alex comes over to recheck his map and, seeing Rizo attempt to analyze his work, flops over on the puzzle, causing Rizo to pause.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Floridians normally wearing flip flops were bundled up to ring in the new year.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
But what happens when such a bold film flops, both critically and commercially, as Jarmusch’s, alas, did?
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
From financial wipeouts to baffling misreads of beloved source material, some of Hollywood’s most notorious flops began as video games.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
If Quinn Ewers gets a chance in December and flops, then go back to Tagovailoa.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
In the aftermath of the attack, strollers were left behind on the lawn, discarded as parents grabbed their children and ran, throwing off their flip flops, to flee the bullets and find shelter.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Previous legal efforts, for example South Korean and Chinese laws banning video games at night, were found to be flops.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Nintendo has its share of flops, failed experiments, and puzzling business decisions–as does every firm.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, a string of box office flops led 20th Century Fox to sell off much of its backlot, just north of the 10 Freeway, to real estate developers in 1961, creating what would be Century City.
—Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
At one point, Alex comes over to recheck his map and, seeing Rizo attempt to analyze his work, flops over on the puzzle, causing Rizo to pause.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flops
Noun
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Excluding disasters, sudden surges of this magnitude in requests for food or any other need are rare at 211s, and can signal both public worry and need, as happened in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Matthew W. Kreuter,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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But Kalmaegi also collapsed flood-control infrastructure in the province that was ostensibly meant to protect citizens in such disasters.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
So much for doing good when capitalism plops an offer at your feet.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Sep. 2025
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Outside, seagulls squawk; a crane lifts sand and plops it on a boat.—
Hannah Martin,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Voids can contribute to sinkholes as the ground collapses into the underlying cavities.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Nov. 2025
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The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after a 2-8 start to the 2025 NFL season and a string of fourth-quarter collapses that left ownership exhausted and fans demanding change.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.—
Dan Garisto,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
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That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jenkins then connected on a pair of TD tosses -- 20 yards to Paul Rios and a three-yarder to Belton, the latter with just eight ticks left before intermission.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Spoken shade amongst the group is as plentiful as actual shade is absent in LA’s concrete desert, and the trio tosses it around with the casual dominance of Shohei Ohtani.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the restructuring fails to materialize by year-end, SoftBank’s total investment would drop to $20 billion.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
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Best Amazon Early Black Friday Luggage Deals Amazon’s lineup of hardside suitcases, carry-ons, and full luggage sets never fails to impress—and this year’s deals certainly don’t fall short.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Chiefs have suffered some injuries at corner in past seasons, so there’s still time to get some use with Fulton, but for now this stands one of the season’s top disappointments.—
Sam McDowell
November 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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There’s often a focus on resilience, or the the ability to bounce back from disappointments and challenges, especially during times of transition or change.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flops. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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