flip

[ flip ]

/ flɪp /

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See synonyms for: flip / flipped / flipper / flippest on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), flipped, flip·ping.

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.

to move (something) suddenly or jerkily.

to turn over, especially with a short rapid gesture: to flip pancakes with a spatula.

to cause to switch from one political party or candidate to another: Republicans flipped the Senate and increased their majority in the House.

Slang.

to provide incriminating evidence about (an associate or accomplice); inform on: I only work with people I know won’t flip me.
to turn into an informer: The prosecutor will try to flip the defendant in exchange for a reduced sentence.

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.

to change (an opinion, stance, or way of thinking): Federal courts had ruled the practice unconstitutional, but an appeals judge flipped the decision.

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

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

verb (used without object), flipped, flip·ping.

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

to move oneself with or as if with flippers: The seals flipped along the beach.

to move with a jerk or jerks.

to turn over or perform a somersault in the air.

to switch from one political party or candidate to another: 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.

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.

to change one’s opinion, stance, or way of thinking:The CEO has been accused of flipping on the issue of employee vacation time.

to shift from one state, position, etc., to another: My mood seems to flip 180 degrees without any obvious triggers.

Slang.

to react to something in an excited, astonished, or delighted manner: He really flipped over his new girlfriend.
to become insane, irrational, angry, or highly excited (often followed by out).

noun

an instance of flipping; a smart tap or strike.

a sudden jerk.

a somersault, especially one performed in the air: a back flip off the diving board.

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.

Slang. flip side.

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Idioms about flip

flip one's lid / wig, Slang. lid (def. 8).

Origin of flip

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

Other definitions for flip (2 of 3)

flip²

[ flip ]

/ flɪp /

noun

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

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

Origin of flip

First recorded in 1690–1700; perhaps noun use of flip¹, so called from tossing or flipping of ingredients in preparation

Other definitions for flip (3 of 3)

flip³

[ flip ]

/ flɪp /

adjective, flip·per, flip·pest.Informal.

flippant; pert: She answered with a flip remark.

Origin of flip

First recorded in 1840–50; adjective use of flip¹

How to use flip in a sentence

Before any flips were made, the Birds had a 50 percent chance of winning.
Can You Pass The Cranberry Sauce?|Zach Wissner-Gross|November 20, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
No judgment, and same here, if you flipped to the end to find out how it all stops.
The most 2020 books of 2020|Angela Haupt|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Horford now looms as an intriguing chip for Presti, who loves nothing more than flipping players he has acquired by trade.
NBA draft winners and losers: A win for LaMelo Ball, woe for the Warriors|Ben Golliver|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Often that’s because the expectation is that the organization will be stripped down to the studs while the new management looks for an opportunity to quickly flip the property for a healthy payday.
‘Valuations had shifted’: What a private equity acquisition means for legacy media|Kayleigh Barber|November 19, 2020|Digiday

In fact, Democrats flipped three seats on the five-person board in 2020, leaving it with five Democrats and no Republicans.
How Georgia Turned Blue|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 18, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
He flipped the two women onto their stomachs, flex-cuffing their wrists.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The areas that were once the most food stable flipped on their heads when Ebola arrived, and are now the least.
Liberia’s Ebola Famine|Abby Haglage, Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First, the amazing and oft-commented upon speed at which public opinion has flipped.
Who Are the Judicial Activists Now?|Michael Tomasky|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I flipped through Google Images and found about 50 shots of Affleck giving that kind of smile in public situations.
Ben Affleck Delivers the Best Performance of His Career in ‘Gone Girl’|Kevin Fallon|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She reached around my hip and flipped up the depressed red button on my individual alarm.
Inside a Hospital for the Criminally Insane|Caitlin Dickson|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then he crossed to the door, flipped the light switch to the off position, and looked back in the direction of the corpse.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Glaring at me sullenly, he flipped the knife toward the fire and resumed his attitude of abstraction.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
He flipped through the pages faster, reading brief snatches here and there, afraid to spend too much time on any one item.
Time Enough at Last|Lyn Venable
Then Stewart lighted a cigar, and flipped the burned out match almost into his unseen companion's face.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
He moved a little aside, also finding the fire hot, and flipped his cigarette ash into the fender.
In Accordance with the Evidence|Oliver Onions

British Dictionary definitions for flip

flip

/ (flɪp) /

verb flips, flipping or flipped

to throw (something light or small) carelessly or briskly; tosshe flipped me an envelope

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

to propel by a sudden movement of the finger; flickto flip a crumb across the room

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

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

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

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

(intr) slang to become ecstatic or very excitedhe flipped over the jazz group

noun

a snap or tap, usually with the fingers

a rapid jerk

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

same as nog 1 (def. 1)

adjective

informal impertinent, flippant, or pert

Word Origin for flip

C16: probably of imitative origin; see fillip

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

flip

Idioms about flip

Origin of flip

Other definitions for flip (2 of 3)

Origin of flip

Other definitions for flip (3 of 3)

Origin of flip

Words related to flip

How to use flip in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flip

Word Origin for flip