flops 1 of 2

noun

plural of flop
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flops

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flop
1
as in plops
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 collapses
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 flaps
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 flops
Noun
Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 personal fouls called resulting in 71 free throws. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 Notable names in this batch include billionaire Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy and tokenization service Securitize, both of which have been public market flops, but not outright debacles. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 Thus, no sooner was Digger declared one of the biggest flops of all time than the reclamation project got underway. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Affleck has weathered his own box office flops over the course of his decades-long career. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Now destined to be a loss, the film is on the verge of becoming one of the biggest flops in cinema history. — Lou Gomis, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 But after Annapurna moved from financing its movies to distributing them in 2017, costs rose, flops piled up, and Megan Ellison scaled back her ambitions. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026 In taking such a single-minded view of the market, Tottenham are hoping to avoid signing any expensive flops – think Tanguy Ndombele or Roberto Soldado – or talented players who are unsuited to English football, such as Giovani Lo Celso. — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Bond yields are steady this morning after the Treasury’s debt buyback plan flops. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
The importance of competition There are three specific reasons why vote buying usually flops. — Kenneth Greene, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026 In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026 Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026 The second play shows that this column isn't really about whether Clark flops. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 This cordless lamp comes in four warm neutrals, and all feature a ceramic shade that flops over its base like pastry dough. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026 But when weighed down by the moisture, the grass flops over and doesn't present itself as well to the cutting blade. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 23 June 2026 One of the best bigs in [expletive] basketball history flops. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 May 2026 Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in f—ing basketball history, flops. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flops
  1. disasters
  2. plops
  3. collapses
  4. flaps
  5. failures
  6. tosses
  7. fails
  8. flutters
Noun
  • At the same time, as the extreme heat and wildfires this year showed us, climate disasters are taking lives and inflicting economic losses on a scale that governments can no longer afford to ignore.
    — Laurence Tubiana, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Their power persisted despite proliferating school shootings, the devastating failures of the state’s electrical grid, the preventable deaths of pregnant women, and other scandals, disasters, and tragedies.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of disasters
Verb
  • The documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem plops viewers into the middle of a salon full of luminaries.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even if his little head plops over when his disguise is broken.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plops
Verb
  • This results in a very large star, which eventually collapses to become an intermediate-mass black hole.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • That contributed to a crazy final quarter that featured 10 drives, six total touchdowns and three touchdown passes from Cutforth to drag the Broncos away from one of the worst collapses in recent Boise State history.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • If your dispenser has a latch that flaps open, make sure there is nothing blocking the flap to keep the pod from releasing and dissolving.
    — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of flaps
Noun
  • Many franchises were jumping from 2D to 3D at the turn of the millennium, and there were plenty of failures — but Metroid wasn’t one of them.
    — Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Accessibility failures thrive in the dark, where no one has to explain how decisions are made, why capacity isn’t anticipated accurately, or what accessibility actually looks like when thousands of disabled people often have to navigate barriers.
    — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of failures
Verb
  • Fisher collects paint swatches, cuts them up, and tosses them into a basket so people can draw one before heading out.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • A student tosses a metal barrier during a protest at Strasbourg University in eastern France on Friday.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of tosses
Verb
  • Jewelry is the gift that never fails, and this year's ready-to-wrap sparklers are certain to be cherished for a lifetime.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The man suffers an allergic reaction, Allan’s amateur attempt at first aid fails and the client dies.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • The big night As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The flag of Iran flutters in the wind outside of the IAEA headquarters.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of flutters

Browse Nearby Words

floppy
flops
flops (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Flops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flops. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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