flip
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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flips,
present (3rd person singular)
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flipped,
past participle, past
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flipping
present participle
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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.
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to move (something) suddenly or jerkily.
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to turn over, especially with a short rapid gesture.
to flip pancakes with a spatula.
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to cause to switch from one political party or candidate to another.
Republicans flipped the Senate and increased their majority in the House.
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Slang.
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to provide incriminating evidence about (an associate or accomplice); inform on.
I only work with people I know won’t flip me.
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to turn into an informer.
The prosecutor will try to flip the defendant in exchange for a reduced sentence.
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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.
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to change (an opinion, stance, or way of thinking).
Federal courts had ruled the practice unconstitutional, but an appeals judge flipped the decision.
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Slang. to make (someone) insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (usually followed byout ).
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Finance. to resell, especially quickly, or to refinance, as a mortgage loan.
verb (used without object)
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flips,
present (3rd person singular)
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flipped,
past participle, past
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flipping
present participle
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to make a flicking movement; strike at something smartly or sharply; snap.
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to move oneself with or as if with flippers.
The seals flipped along the beach.
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to move with a jerk or jerks.
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to turn over or perform a somersault in the air.
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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.
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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.
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to change one’s opinion, stance, or way of thinking.
The CEO has been accused of flipping on the issue of employee vacation time.
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to shift from one state, position, etc., to another.
My mood seems to flip 180 degrees without any obvious triggers.
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Slang.
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to react to something in an excited, astonished, or delighted manner.
He really flipped over his new girlfriend.
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to become insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (often followed byout ).
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noun
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an instance of flipping; a smart tap or strike.
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a sudden jerk.
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a somersault, especially one performed in the air.
a back flip off the diving board.
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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.
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Slang. flip side.
idioms
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flip one's lid / wig, lid.
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flip (someone) the bird, give (someone) the finger.
noun
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a mixed drink made with liquor or wine, sugar, and egg, topped with powdered nutmeg and served hot or cold.
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a drink, popular especially in the 18th century, made with beer or ale mixed with rum or other liquor, sweetened and served hot.
adjective
verb
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to throw (something light or small) carelessly or briskly; toss
he flipped me an envelope
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to throw or flick (an object such as a coin) so that it turns or spins in the air
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to propel by a sudden movement of the finger; flick
to flip a crumb across the room
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(foll by through) to read or look at (a book, newspaper, etc) quickly, idly, or incompletely
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(intr) (of small objects) to move or bounce jerkily
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(intr) to make a snapping movement or noise with the finger and thumb
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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 )
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slang (intr) to become ecstatic or very excited
he flipped over the jazz group
noun
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a snap or tap, usually with the fingers
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a rapid jerk
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a somersault, esp one performed in the air, as in a dive, rather than from a standing position
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same as nog 1
adjective
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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flipsimple
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flipssimple
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have flippedperfect
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has flippedperfect
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am flippingprogressive
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are flippingprogressive
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is flippingprogressive
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have been flippingperfect progressive
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has been flippingperfect progressive
Past
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flippedsimple
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had flippedperfect
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was flippingprogressive
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were flippingprogressive
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had been flippingperfect progressive
Future
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Regulation of these contracts should not be a legal coin flip decided by which courthouse a company gets sued in.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
I could flip through so many of them, so that’s where I’m going to post up for a little bit, hopefully with an iced coffee in hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The owners, unable to flip the units for a profit, had been forced to rent them out instead and wait.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 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
I flip through my favorite blue notebook, looking at all the daily checklists from the past few weeks.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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
She ultimately had to have her flipper amputated, according to Jaros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Visitors to the Aquarium of the Pacific can now get an up-close look at Meatloaf, a rescued green sea turtle undergoing rehabilitation after a serious flipper injury, according to officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
The fingers were fused together like a flipper.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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
In fact, of course, the chances of a coin coming up heads are 50% with each flip, and they have nothing to do with how many heads or tails came in prior flips.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
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
Mrs. Adler flips her ringer on, then slips her phone in the pocket of her shirt or pajama top or whatever it is.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
In this case, the neutrons and protons in the nucleus essentially flipped their internal magnets.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Watson started the team’s preseason opener before Sanders came in, and that order is set to be flipped for the next exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
"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
Fenton set Hopkins up with a keyboard loaded with samples of every instrument, and an internal switch was flipped: now the actor could compose for orchestra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
I flipped it open and paged through to the section on the Battle of the Bulge.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Kevin Warsh keeps flipping the script on markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
By flipping out at anyone who brings it up, they’re only ensuring more people are paying attention.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
This fallacy is perhaps best understood in the context of flipping a coin.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 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
I say, flipping the hair off my face and smiling.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
