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

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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
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 Finish the look off with an elevated sandal like these minimalist flip flops from Dolce Vita or with feminine Mary Janes like Carel’s iconic Kina, and a statement bag like the Tommy from Staud. — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flops
  1. disasters
  2. plops
  3. collapses
  4. flaps
  5. failures
  6. tosses
  7. fails
  8. flutters
Noun
  • Since 2024, the state and federal governments have spent over half a billion dollars on disasters in Ruidoso — nine times the village’s annual budget.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • These same companies continue to kill the clean energy that is not only cheaper, but try to side-step their glaring responsibility for the increasing cascade of climate disasters.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 21 Oct. 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
  • When a reef collapses, hard corals disappear and are replaced by algae, rubble and sponges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For developers managing a mix of AC and DC loads, Inam says the device collapses a number of machines—including a rectifier, an inverter, backup power and energy management—into a single unit four feet square and 12 feet high.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 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
  • The feat concludes a pursuit that began in 2009, when Zhang first experimented with riding a motorcycle on water and overcame early failures to achieve his latest goal.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Neeley said the floodwaters were receding but left mud and silt, much of which has been contaminated with sewage because of failures at waste plants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 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
  • The company surveyed 5,000 global, circular-conscious Gen Z consumers and found that when a garment fails, 1 in 4 consumers leave the brand.
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Or if the weather fails to cooperate, a moving picture show may be in order.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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