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
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
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
There have been hits from both the indie and major studio, but the number of flops has far outnumberd the success stories.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 May 2026
After Game 2 between the Thunder and Lakers, which was full of flops once again, Austin Reaves and the entire Lakers team confronted the officials after their 18-point loss.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
She was last seen wearing a black tank top, black yoga pants with studs on the outside, brown sunglasses, and size 9 Nike zebra print flip flops.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Sandals posted growth in both dollars and units, led by slides and flip–flops.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
The Phillies instead have been one of the biggest flops in baseball and had lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Spring break season is nearing its end, but before students across the country trade their flip flops for books again, a southern spring break staple is about to kick off.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Temperatures are going to be summer-like the next several days in the Philadelphia region, so ditch the coat and replace your wardrobe with shorts, T-shirts and flip flops.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 May 2026
One of the best bigs in [expletive] basketball history flops.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 May 2026
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
Noun
One of Sisto’s favorite ways to incorporate color is through accessories like the Project Cloud Flip-flops in a bold red, which add an effortless statement to otherwise simple outfits.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
There have been hits from both the indie and major studio, but the number of flops has far outnumberd the success stories.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 May 2026
After Game 2 between the Thunder and Lakers, which was full of flops once again, Austin Reaves and the entire Lakers team confronted the officials after their 18-point loss.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
She was last seen wearing a black tank top, black yoga pants with studs on the outside, brown sunglasses, and size 9 Nike zebra print flip flops.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Sandals posted growth in both dollars and units, led by slides and flip–flops.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
The Phillies instead have been one of the biggest flops in baseball and had lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Spring break season is nearing its end, but before students across the country trade their flip flops for books again, a southern spring break staple is about to kick off.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Temperatures are going to be summer-like the next several days in the Philadelphia region, so ditch the coat and replace your wardrobe with shorts, T-shirts and flip flops.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
One of the best bigs in [expletive] basketball history flops.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 May 2026
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
-
Mining disasters are common in China, where rapid industrialization came with intense resource exploitation, poor working conditions and a weak regulatory framework.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
-
Mining disasters have been common although authorities had implemented measures to improve safety over the past years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
After Hancock waits an hour or so for the drone to descend, the moment arrives and the drone plops Hancock’s syrup directly onto the concrete, which isn’t a good sign.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The series’ opening scene plops audiences in the middle of the Dardanos’ dysfunction, as Linda, presiding over her own mother’s hospital room, screeches that her children should bear witness to their terminally ill nonna’s final days—even to her urinary incontinence.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That collapses the distinction the GENIUS Act drafters wrote into the statute.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Health care collapses without us.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In mid-2025, the ARISE team reported that the best-performing model achieved a 70% success rate, with most failures clustering around tasks requiring three or more steps.—
Spencer Dorn,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
As in most insurance company failures, PHL flopped for several reasons.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
In a video demonstrating their technology, robots with a single arm attached to a base watch as a human instructor tosses a ball into a small container.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Sneak extra broccoli into dinner with this pesto pasta that blends the veggie into both the sauce and tosses it into the finished dish too.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Over time, blood vessels begin leaking, leading to bleeding, blood pressure can drop, blood fails to reach different parts of the body and the kidneys can fail.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Why polarization holds where charge fails Ferroelectricity refers to the ability of certain materials to maintain a permanent, spontaneous electric polarization.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
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 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
