cropper

noun

Definition of croppernext
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals more than a few people were glad to see the obnoxiously smug skater come a cropper at the national championships

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cropper Two weeks after Alt’s ankle was mangled, depriving Herbert of his blindside protector, the quarterback and the offense came a cropper in a 30-6 blowout at Jacksonville in mid-November. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026 More recently, soybean croppers were angered by the financial support lent to Argentina, which went on to ship large quantities of its own soybeans to China. — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Still, with the disappointing box office of the first Horizon, the lack of Horizon II on the big screen, and third and fourth installments of Horizon looking as likely as a return of the Wild West itself, however this case ends up sorted, Costner may still come a cropper. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 In January, 1813, at York Castle, fourteen croppers stood trial for rioting and machine breaking, which Parliament had deemed a capital offense in the new Frame-Breaking Act. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cropper
  1. defeat
  2. failure
  3. collapse
  4. crash
Noun
  • Former boxer Prichard Colón has died at age 33, 11 years after sustaining life-altering blows to the head during the only defeat of his professional career.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Paul Taylor Sunderland Sunderland’s pre-season has gradually improved, as defeats to Liverpool and Leeds have given way to encouraging performances, and wins, against Wrexham and Lens.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeat
Noun
  • The failures of England’s previous generations were multi-faceted, but how much did the national culture feed into the acceptance of their behaviour?
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • These can overwhelm and damage your kidneys, leading to kidney failure.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • But Bijan Khajehpour, another Iran expert and the managing partner at consulting firm Eurasian Nexus Partners, doesn’t think Iran’s economy is headed for imminent collapse.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, the article emphasizes socialism's historical failures, citing the collapse of the Soviet Union and Venezuela's severe economic devastation under socialist policies.
    — Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Noun
  • So far, this is the only one of the NTSB recommendations stemming from the crash that has been resolved and marked closed by the agency.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Two people, including a 13-year-old boy, were seriously hurt following a small plane crash on Wednesday in West Michigan, according to Michigan State Police.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of crash

Phrases Containing cropper

Browse Nearby Words

cropped (up)
cropper
croppers
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Cite this Entry

“Cropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cropper. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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