flipped; flipping; flips
1
: to toss so as to cause to turn over in the air
flip a coin
flip a pancake
2
a
: to cause to turn and especially to turn over
flipped the car
flipping the pages of a book
b
: to move with a small quick motion
flip a switch
c
: to turn (something) on or off with a switch
flip on/off the lights
d
: to change or move through (channels, stations, etc.) quickly
flipping channels with the remote control
3
: to buy and usually renovate (real estate) so as to quickly resell at a higher price
He's flipped three houses for a substantial profit.
4
: to cause or persuade (a witness) to cooperate in prosecuting a criminal case against an associate
… wrote that the … probe seemed to have reached the stage where investigators are in the process of flipping witnesses.—
Nancy LeTourneau
Nancy LeTourneau1
: to make a twitching or flicking movement
the fish flipped and flopped on the deck
2
a
: to turn or roll from one side to the other : turn over
The crab had flipped onto its back.
The car flipped over.
b
: to do a somersault in the air : to do a flip
He flipped off the diving board.
3
a
: to change from one state, position, subject, etc., to another
The job market flipped from hot to cold.
The commercial flipped back and forth between scenes of country life and city life.
b
: to change or move through channels, pages, etc.
He sat on the couch flipping through the channels.
flip to another station
flip through the pages of a magazine
c
: to cooperate in the prosecution of a criminal case against an associate
Before sentencing, two more members defected …. And, soon after receiving his 45-year sentence in May 1989, Leonetti flipped, too.—Marguerite Del Giudice
Marguerite Del Giudice4
slang
a
: to lose one's reason or composure
She completely flipped when she heard about her son's accident.
see also flip one's lid, flip out
b
: to become very enthusiastic
1
: a mixed drink usually consisting of a sweetened spiced liquor with beaten eggs
2
: an act or instance of flipping
3
: the motion used in flipping
4
: a somersault especially in the air
5
: a holder for a collectible coin made of vinyl or cardboard with a plastic window and often having a sleeve in which to place an identifying insert
Phrases
flip the script
informal
: to achieve an outcome or adopt an approach that is opposite to or completely different from what has happened or been done previously
Now, having won three of the last nine majors, Mickelson has flipped the script on Woods.—Alan Shipnuck
Alan Shipnuck… the chance to flip the script, to go from 0-6 with a chance to finish the second half of the year 5-1, is motivating Nebraska players this week.—Steve Batterson
Steve BattersonIf you let your inner critic do all the talking, of course she's going to chip away at your self-esteem. Make a conscious choice to flip the script for the next week and see how dramatically it alters your outlook.—Petra Guglielmetti
Petra GuglielmettiSynonyms
Examples of flip in a Sentence
Verb
She was sitting in the waiting room, flipping the pages of a magazine.
His car flipped over on the interstate.
Noun
the flip of a coin
She turned on the lights with the flip of a switch.
Adjective
made some flip comment about the marriage between the old man and the considerably younger woman
Recent Examples on the Web
Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Having taken Seamus outside the wake, the British flipped him by offering the prospect of a better life for him and his wife in London.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Still, Nvidia stock is actually down 4.8% from its all-time closing high set Oct. 21, but Apple shares are down 6.7% over the same period, hence the flip in their market values.
—Derek Saul, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
The Row’s pre-spring 2025 collection makes a case for slouchy pants with lacy dresses, even styled underneath sweaters — paired with flip flops, no less.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, refinery29.com, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flip 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The groups’ American Electorate Voter Poll — using a larger Latino sample and additional techniques for polling Hispanics — flipped that outcome, with Harris winning 56% of Latino men to Trump’s 43%.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Having taken Seamus outside the wake, the British flipped him by offering the prospect of a better life for him and his wife in London.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
Montana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan are considered the seats that could potentially flip from Democratic to the GOP, and West Virginia is already expected to be a slam dunk flip for Republicans.
—The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Still, Nvidia stock is actually down 4.8% from its all-time closing high set Oct. 21, but Apple shares are down 6.7% over the same period, hence the flip in their market values.
—Derek Saul, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
The flip tax was an agreement the Chargers made with the league in 2015 as part of the pact to move the team to Los Angeles and is similar to the deal the Las Vegas Raiders made with the NFL before moving from Oakland, California.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
The Row’s pre-spring 2025 collection makes a case for slouchy pants with lacy dresses, even styled underneath sweaters — paired with flip flops, no less.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, refinery29.com, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flip
Dictionary Entries Near flip
Cite this Entry
“Flip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flip. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flip
1 of 3 verb
flipped; flipping
1
: to turn by tossing
flip a coin
2
: to turn over quickly
flip the pages of a magazine
3
: flick entry 2 sense 1
flip a switch
4
: to get excited or angry
you'll flip when you hear this
flip
2 of 3 noun1
: an act or instance of flipping
2
: a somersault especially in the air
flip
3 of 3 adjective
: flippant
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