flip

¹ American  

[flip] / flɪp /

verb (used with object)

• flips,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flipped,
  past participle,  past
• flipping
  present participle

1. to toss or put in motion with a sudden impulse, as with a snap of a finger and thumb, especially so as to cause to turn over in the air.

   to flip a coin.

2. to move (something) suddenly or jerkily.

3. to turn over, especially with a short rapid gesture.

   to flip pancakes with a spatula.

4. to cause to switch from one political party or candidate to another.

   Republicans flipped the Senate and increased their majority in the House.

5. Slang.

   1. to provide incriminating evidence about (an associate or accomplice); inform on.

      I only work with people I know won’t flip me.

   2. to turn into an informer.

      The prosecutor will try to flip the defendant in exchange for a reduced sentence.

6. to buy and sell (real estate or another asset) for a quick profit.

   The buyer flipped the house for double what he paid for it, just nine months after renovations were completed.

7. to change (an opinion, stance, or way of thinking).

   Federal courts had ruled the practice unconstitutional, but an appeals judge flipped the decision.

8. Slang. to make (someone) insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (usually followed byout ).

9. Finance. to resell, especially quickly, or to refinance, as a mortgage loan.

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verb (used without object)

• flips,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flipped,
  past participle,  past
• flipping
  present participle

1. to make a flicking movement; strike at something smartly or sharply; snap.

2. to move oneself with or as if with flippers.

   The seals flipped along the beach.

3. to move with a jerk or jerks.

4. to turn over or perform a somersault in the air.

5. to switch from one political party or candidate to another: Last November, most state legislatures saw fewer than five seats flip one way or the other.

   Formerly Democratic, our state has flipped to become red.

   Last November, most state legislatures saw fewer than five seats flip one way or the other.

6. Slang to provide incriminating evidence about an associate or accomplice; inform on.

   They wanted me to flip on the guy who sold me the drugs.

7. to change one’s opinion, stance, or way of thinking.

   The CEO has been accused of flipping on the issue of employee vacation time.

8. to shift from one state, position, etc., to another.

   My mood seems to flip 180 degrees without any obvious triggers.

9. Slang.

   1. to react to something in an excited, astonished, or delighted manner.

      He really flipped over his new girlfriend.

   2. to become insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (often followed byout ).

noun

1. an instance of flipping; a smart tap or strike.

2. a sudden jerk.

3. a somersault, especially one performed in the air.

   a back flip off the diving board.

4. Cards. a variety of seven-card stud in which each player receives the first four cards facedown and selects two of them to expose before receiving the next card.

5. Slang. flip side.

idioms

1. flip one's lid / wig, lid.

2. flip (someone) the bird, give (someone) the finger.

flip ² American  

[flip] / flɪp /

noun

1. a mixed drink made with liquor or wine, sugar, and egg, topped with powdered nutmeg and served hot or cold.

2. a drink, popular especially in the 18th century, made with beer or ale mixed with rum or other liquor, sweetened and served hot.

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flip ³ American  

[flip] / flɪp /

adjective

Informal.

flipper, flippest

1. flippant; pert.

   She answered with a flip remark.

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flip British  

/ flɪp /

verb

1. to throw (something light or small) carelessly or briskly; toss

   he flipped me an envelope

2. to throw or flick (an object such as a coin) so that it turns or spins in the air

3. to propel by a sudden movement of the finger; flick

   to flip a crumb across the room

4. (foll by through) to read or look at (a book, newspaper, etc) quickly, idly, or incompletely

5. (intr) (of small objects) to move or bounce jerkily

6. (intr) to make a snapping movement or noise with the finger and thumb

7. slang (intr) to fly into a rage or an emotional outburst (also in the phrases flip one's lid, flip one's top, flip out )

8. slang (intr) to become ecstatic or very excited

   he flipped over the jazz group

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noun

1. a snap or tap, usually with the fingers

2. a rapid jerk

3. a somersault, esp one performed in the air, as in a dive, rather than from a standing position

4. same as nog 1

adjective

1. informal impertinent, flippant, or pert

Usage

Where does flip come from? When it comes to studying the origins of words, it’s easy to overlook—and take for granted—everyday, unassuming words, like flip. But oftentimes, the story behind these most basic of words can provide great insights into how words work. Flip is first recorded around 1585–95. It appears to be related to, and may even be a contraction of, the word fillip. This word means “to strike with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb.” Compared to flip, fillip is less common but older, recorded around 1425–75. While the ultimate origin of fillip is unknown, etymologists think the word is what’s called expressive. While imitative words evoke the actual sound of a word being defined (boom), the sound of expressive words can conjure up a particular emotion, sensation, shape, movement, and so on. So, a word like fillip evokes the movement involved in the action of fillipping. Try flipping—or filliping—your thumb and index finger. Can you hear how the words evoke such finger flicking? And use of the word flick is no accident here. Flick is very similar in sense and form, imitating the sound of flicking something. Dig deeperLike flick, the word flip also brings to mind flop, as in flip-flop and its variant, flip-flap. Flop itself originates as a variant of flap. Flip-flops, like the kind of sandals you might wear at the pool, are so named for the sound they make when you walk in them. Flip, flap, flop, flick—the initial cluster, fl-, in English is associated with flittering, fluttering, flitting motion. This relationship between the sound fl- and the meaning of unsteady movement is called sound symbolism. Sound symbolism is the “nonarbitrary connection between phonetic features of linguistic items and their meanings, as in the frequent occurrence of close vowels in words denoting smallness, as petite and teeny-weeny.”One commonly cited example of sound symbolism in English is how many words dealing with light begin with the cluster gl-: glance, glare, glimmer, glitter, and glimpse, to name a few. Can you think of other words to add to this list?One the most familiar forms of sound symbolism is onomatopoeia, the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• flipping
  present
• flipped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flip
  simple
• flips
  simple
• have flipped
  perfect
• has flipped
  perfect
• am flipping
  progressive
• are flipping
  progressive
• is flipping
  progressive
• have been flipping
  perfect progressive
• has been flipping
  perfect progressive

Past

• flipped
  simple
• had flipped
  perfect
• was flipping
  progressive
• were flipping
  progressive
• had been flipping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flip
  simple
• will have flipped
  perfect
• will be flipping
  progressive
• will have been flipping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flip¹

First recorded in 1585–95; 1955–60 flip ¹ for def. 18; see origin at fillip

Origin of flip²

First recorded in 1690–1700; perhaps noun use of flip ¹, so called from tossing or flipping of ingredients in preparation

Origin of flip³

First recorded in 1840–50; adjective use of flip ¹

Explanation

To flip is to turn or toss upside down, like flipping a mattress over. People flip out when excited, and a flip remark is disrespectful. There are many types of flips and flipping. Gymnasts who turn themselves upside down are doing flips. Turning a pancake over is flipping it. Any quick, light motion can be described as a flip, like a quarterback flipping the ball to a receiver. When someone is extremely excited — and usually mad — they flip out. Also, flip comments are casual, quick, and disrespectful.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flip flipper flippest flips flipped flipping

Mr. Lipscomb, who had proved the telegenic potential of gambling, thought legalization of sports betting was coming and urged Mr. Silver to flip the NBA’s oppositional stance and reap “a multi-billion-dollar windfall.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

"Most people badly time a front flip off a five-metre platform and get winded," she said in the clip.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

“That gives me solace. I will see you on the flip side, honey bunny.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

But it’s still possible to impress skeptical investors and flip a negative narrative.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

I flip through mine to one of the few open pages at the end.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

The three-bedroom, one-bath home was dilapidated before an out-of-state house flipper fixed it up, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

One ex-house flipper said he’d experimented with 50 AI-generated business ideas before landing on one he liked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“The entangled line severely damaged a front flipper, cutting off blood supply,” Dr. Lance Adams, the aquarium’s director of veterinary services, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

Under a blazing sun, the green sea turtle thwapped the surface of the San Gabriel River with her sole front flipper as aquarium staffers gripped her shell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

When it turned I reached for its hind flipper, but as soon as I touched it I recoiled in horror.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

His code is the survival of the flippest, and he talks a lingo as forthright and gamy, in its way, as a soldier’s.

From Time ● Jan. 27, 2015

His code is the survival of the flippest, and he talks a lingo as forthright and gamy, in its way, as a soldier's.

From Time Magazine Archive

Some perform feats of strength, flips, aerial dance moves, head-first dives.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

Another manufacturer, Honor, showcased an AI system for its "Robot Phone", whose interactive camera flips up on a small robotic arm.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

A recent Chipotle ad for the chain’s adobo chicken advertises the meat as grilled—even as an actor flips the thighs on what appears to be a flat-top griddle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Based on a Max Brand novel, “Trailin’” flips the script by starring Mix as a polo-playing, dress-shirt-wearing Easterner who comes out west to clear up a family matter.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

She frowns as she flips through my answers.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

"The bed almost flipped over. Tables and all the things on the tables and on top of the cupboards all fell and scattered everywhere," she said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

The car had flipped during the crash, leaving most of the vehicle upside down and underwater, according to a photo shared from the scene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The S&P 500 finished July only marginally lower, and quickly returned to record territory as the calendar flipped to August.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

"I listened to Bob Dylan and everything, like my whole world just went into the opposite - flipped," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

He went to the desk and flipped it up so that everyone in the room could see the screen.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Their company has been prolific at cobbling together oil-rich acreage and flipping it to other energy producers in multibillion-dollar deals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Aikebaer immigrated to Southern California from China nearly 20 years ago, according to Nijiati, and has participated in several business ventures including flipping houses and opening a fast-food restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

A few metres away, his mother Beatrice was busy ladling out and flipping crepes spread from brim to brim with a generous layer of chocolate-hazelnut spread.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

A simple comparison is repeatedly flipping a coin to decide whether to move one way or another.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

The next thing I knew, the camera people were filming her in scuba gear, flipping backward off the side of the boat.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen