CAME A CROPPER Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

came a cropper

phrase

past tense of come a cropper

as in collapsed

to be unsuccessful To her disappointment, her plan came a cropper.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fell short

to go wrong He tried to scale the fence but came a cropper.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for came a cropper

fell short

Phrase

That could be considered a bright spot in a jobs report that fell short of forecasters’ hiring expectations.

— Rachel Barber, USA Today, 9 July 2026
Early attempts to force governments to address climate change fell short.

— Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of fell short

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.

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came about

came a cropper

came across

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“Came a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/came%20a%20cropper. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of came a cropper

phrase

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