flip out

verb

flipped out; flipping out; flips out
Synonyms of flip outnext

intransitive verb

informal
: to lose one's reason or composure
She's going to flip out when she sees the great present I got her!
"We were flipping out [from worry] and crying," Yvonne White said. "It was just getting worse and worse."Sydney Page
especially : to become very angry
… he flipped out on the server when they messed up his wife's order. Ajani Bazile

transitive verb

informal
: to cause (someone) to lose reason or composure
But it wasn't until he saw a homemade e-bike in the back of a neighbor's pickup truck about five years ago that he truly fell in love. "It flipped me out. It looked like a tiny motorcycle," [Andrew] Willner said.Lissa Harris
I fell asleep with my makeup on, and when I woke up, my eyes were swollen shut from an allergic reaction to the silver paint. I couldn't see a thing, and it flipped me out.Ace Frehley, quoted in Westport (Connecticut) News

Examples of flip out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Netflix’s decision back then was in part aimed at mollifying shareholders, who at the time were flipping out over a slowdown in subscriber growth. Josef Adalian, Vulture, 1 July 2026 Here, expansive lawns are an ideal place to roll out a picnic and watch for dolphins flipping out of the bay in the distance. Nora Heston Tarte, Mercury News, 18 May 2026 Fans are flipping out over the similarities between Hilary Duff and You star Victoria Pedretti — who plays the on-screen love interest (literally named Love) of Penn Badgley's Joe. Laura Lane, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out of the pan onto a rack. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flip out

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1959, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of flip out was circa 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flip out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flip%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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