as in folding
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1
as in plopping
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 collapsing
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 flapping
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
a fish flopping around on the dock
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Recent Examples of flopping
CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
By a standard box-office calculus, such a low- to mid-seven-figure debut for a nonfiction film with $75 million in negative costs means Melania has little to no chance of avoiding flopping theatrically.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Stiller’s character attempts to match the athletic feat in a heated rage by climbing high and belly-flopping right onto a drum kit as the music powers on.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Perspectives 🏁 The viral video of a Kansas referee seemingly flopping during a high school girl’s basketball game is a bad look.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Waterfield's extra point was deflected, flopping low toward the uprights.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
By a standard box-office calculus, such a low- to mid-seven-figure debut for a nonfiction film with $75 million in negative costs means Melania has little to no chance of avoiding flopping theatrically.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Stiller’s character attempts to match the athletic feat in a heated rage by climbing high and belly-flopping right onto a drum kit as the music powers on.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Perspectives 🏁 The viral video of a Kansas referee seemingly flopping during a high school girl’s basketball game is a bad look.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025
If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flopping
Adjective
-
The spatial geomagnetic sensing is achieved with a folding, extendable robotic arm that carries the Hidonix Acquisition Module, which includes the HEC (Hidonix Embedded Computer from Nvidia) that runs proprietary firmware designed for precise geomagnetic signal acquisition.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The first few generations of those devices had subpar cameras compared to standard, non-folding phones and a visible crease running down the middle, among other shortcomings.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Continue in the southerly direction, appreciating the gnarled coast live oaks and sound of shy red-eared sliders plopping off their logs into the water.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Oliver eliminates one pole-climbing threat by plopping a hat on his head, leading to a big fall — then takes this as an opportunity to evict his squatter.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a collapsing birth rate.—
Kate Andrews,
Washington Post,
13 Feb. 2026
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The couple saw major flood damage during the same set of storms, with a wall collapsing and the house later condemned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The team also discovered that rays using undulatory, wave-like swimming had better ground clearance than those with purely oscillatory, flapping motions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Whether that’s going to see a show, tossing some axes, cuddling with some cats at a café or racing down the slopes, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.—
Kaitlyn Keegan,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
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In a small skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter, add hash brown squares and cook, tossing often, until crispy.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The incident came to light after two DEA whistleblowers accused the agency of failing to address the allegations involving corruption in its Haiti operations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
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As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the administration also violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 by failing to consider the harmful environmental impacts of the project.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the early swooning over Newsom suggests, some voters’ hearts are fluttering over the prospect of his candidacy.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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That’s the end result of an odd, hilarious scene that took place during the first period at UBS Arena, when Islanders forward Bo Horvat went to play a puck behind the Pittsburgh net and was joined by a small bird that was fluttering near the ice surface.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The ad, which centers on a fictional family scouring their community for their missing dog, demonstrates how the Search Party feature activates neighboring Ring home cameras to be used in the search.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Young Heathcliff is missing a tooth, so when Heathcliff returns, Miller worked with prosthetic dental appliance creator Chris Lyons from Fangs Effects in the UK to fill the gap.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flopping. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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