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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Flip-flops are great for the pool and beach, but supportive sandals are necessary for lots of walking around properties that are typically spread out across a lot of acreage.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
With around $40 million stateside, and another $40 million internationally, the film appears poised to break Hollywood's string of box office flops as the industry continues to fret over the increasingly dire economics of theatrical releases.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But the company also notched some notable flops.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
If, on the other hand, the movie flops, Jeff Bezos better start looking into $400 million airliners.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
While Boone did as many as 30 flips during the ad shoot, says Jones, Stiller’s dangerous flops were really the work of stunt personnel, one of whom fell onto a foam drum kit that was constructed with the use of a 3-D printer.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
His take on smart glasses isn't typical consumer gadgets from past tech flops, but advanced industrial AR glasses that offer real-time guidance, safety alerts and operational insights directly in a worker's field of view.
—Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Bone-in ham steak flops over the rim of its plate, and the table surface is erased when an entrée’s sidekicks — yeast-fragrant rolls the size of baseballs, a green salad practically obscured by a snow-white dollop of the house dressing — are dropped off.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
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
Noun
Though, this being New Zealand, the flip flops may still go down just fine.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Flip-flops are great for the pool and beach, but supportive sandals are necessary for lots of walking around properties that are typically spread out across a lot of acreage.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
With around $40 million stateside, and another $40 million internationally, the film appears poised to break Hollywood's string of box office flops as the industry continues to fret over the increasingly dire economics of theatrical releases.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
But the company also notched some notable flops.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
If, on the other hand, the movie flops, Jeff Bezos better start looking into $400 million airliners.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
While Boone did as many as 30 flips during the ad shoot, says Jones, Stiller’s dangerous flops were really the work of stunt personnel, one of whom fell onto a foam drum kit that was constructed with the use of a 3-D printer.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
His take on smart glasses isn't typical consumer gadgets from past tech flops, but advanced industrial AR glasses that offer real-time guidance, safety alerts and operational insights directly in a worker's field of view.
—Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Bone-in ham steak flops over the rim of its plate, and the table surface is erased when an entrée’s sidekicks — yeast-fragrant rolls the size of baseballs, a green salad practically obscured by a snow-white dollop of the house dressing — are dropped off.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
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
-
In 2024, the country experienced 27 separate billion-dollar disasters, totaling roughly $183 billion, up from nearly $93 billion the year before.—
Yoca Arditi-Rocha,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This designation places the mission on the same official level of seriousness as the fatal Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2023) shuttle disasters.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
First, a knight’s urgent secretion plops to the ground behind a tree that offers far too little.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The individual then plops the turtle back down, taps its shell a few times, and walks away.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When borrowing dries up, the scheme collapses.—
Les Rubin,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In his poems, letters lose limbs, words are mined, and grammar collapses under shelling.—
Alex Averbuch,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
New features like active aero (flaps that open on the front and rear wings) help forge a much closer relationship between the engine and the chassis around it.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Increasingly, the aging building has been experiencing system failures that include the boilers and chillers, electrical infrastructure, plumbing and roof leaks, the City Council was told.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
These failures help contribute to the lack of confidence Americans in general have in Democrats’ ability to run things — their governmental competence.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But don’t let any of that hinder you from seeing director/co-screenwriter Ryan Prows’ nutso horror movie, which also tosses some decidedly less effective social commentary onto the barbie.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Some lay them flat, others hang them up, and the last set tosses them into a bin.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And if Congress fails to renew these tariffs by roughly August, the bank calculates nominal tariff levels would plummet to the mid-single digits, around 6% to 7%.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Woods fails to notice a ball mark in the line of his 4-foot birdie putt that would have won his third-round match against Nick O’Hern.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flops. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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