Meaning & use
came a cropper
Last updated
“came a cropper” is a form of “come a cropper”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phraseidiomBritishinformal
failed badly or suffered a sudden, embarrassing defeat or accident.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the subject is the person or thing that fails. The base form is 'come a cropper'.
Patterns
- someone came a cropper
- something came a cropper
The company came a cropper when its new product flopped.
He came a cropper in the final round and lost the match.
Our plans came a cropper because of the bad weather.
phraseidiomBritishinformal
fell heavily or had a bad accident, especially from a horse or bicycle.
Grammar: Used literally for a physical fall; the subject is the person who falls.
Patterns
- someone came a cropper
- come a cropper on something
She came a cropper on the icy path and broke her wrist.
The rider came a cropper at the first fence.
Word forms
| base form | come a cropper |
|---|---|
| third person singular | comes a cropper |
| past tense | came a cropper |
| past participle | come a cropper |
| -ing form | coming a cropper |
Common combinations
- come a cropper
- If you don't check the figures, you'll come a cropper.
- came a cropper on
- He came a cropper on the wet grass.
- came a cropper in
- The team came a cropper in the semi-final.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fail
- A general word that is more neutral and can be used in any register; 'came a cropper' is more dramatic and informal.
- flop
- Often used for things like films or products that are unsuccessful; 'came a cropper' can also refer to people and accidents.
- take a tumble
- Similar for a physical fall, but it does not usually mean a general failure.
Opposites
Commonly confused: came a cropper or crop up?
came a cropper vs crop up
A different phrasal verb meaning 'appear or happen unexpectedly'. 'Came a cropper' is about failure or a fall, not about something appearing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'came a cropper' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The idiom means 'failed badly', so it fits the business failure. The other options use 'came a cropper' with the wrong patterns: it does not take 'to', 'of', or 'with' in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “came a cropper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.