COMES A CROPPER Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

comes a cropper

phrase

present tense third-person singular of come a cropper

as in fails

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in falls short

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for comes a cropper

Phrase

If Anthropic's actual spend falls short, it's required to pay Amazon the difference as a true-up.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
The company is arranging compensation, while some collectors say their insurance falls short of the cards’ value.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls short

Phrase

The satire falls flat, but there’s some chuckles to be found in the Simpsons living beyond their economic means.

— Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
In its uncertain tonality and zany humor that falls flat, that’s the Waititi film that Klara and the Sun most resembles.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls flat

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.

Browse Nearby Words

comes about

comes a cropper

comes across

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Comes a cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comes%20a%20cropper. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of comes a cropper

phrase

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes