flops
Americannoun
acronym
Etymology
Origin of flops
First recorded in 1985–90; shortening of fl(oating-point) op(erations per) s(econd)
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.
The show, which premiered on Broadway in 1947, was Lerner and Loewe’s first hit after a string of flops and fizzles.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Perhaps the next couple of months could be spent courting record labels and songwriters, instead of leaning on Thomas Stengaard, the Danish musician who co-wrote our last two flops.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
If it’s a mixture of high returns and big flops, he’s cherry-picking stocks without due care.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
In entertainment circles, the Oscar curse is a dreaded phenomenon, characterized by actors who have been nominated or won an Oscar, only for their post-prestige careers to be fraught with flops.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
Dad flops straight back onto the ground and groans.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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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.