come a cropper

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformalBritish

   To fail badly or suffer a sudden, embarrassing defeat, especially after seeming likely to succeed.

   Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the subject is the person or thing that fails, e.g. 'The company came a cropper.'

   Patterns

   • someone/something comes a cropper
   • come a cropper on something

   The startup came a cropper when its main investor pulled out.

   He came a cropper in the final round and lost the championship.

   Many diets come a cropper because people give up after a week.

2. 2phraseidiominformalBritish

   To fall over suddenly, especially from a horse or bicycle.

   Grammar: Also used literally for physical falls; often followed by 'from' or 'off'.

   Patterns

   • come a cropper from something
   • come a cropper off something

   She came a cropper from her bike on the icy road.

   The rider came a cropper at the first fence.

Common combinations

come a cropper on the stock market

Many small investors came a cropper on the stock market last year.

come a cropper in business

Without a clear plan, you can easily come a cropper in business.

be likely to come a cropper

Any team that underestimates them is likely to come a cropper.

come a cropper over something

The minister came a cropper over his comments on housing.

Synonyms and how they differ

fail

A general word for not succeeding; 'come a cropper' is more dramatic and suggests a sudden, often public failure.

flop

Often used for films, products, or events that are unsuccessful; 'come a cropper' can also refer to people and plans.

trip up

Means to make a mistake or cause someone to fail; it is less forceful than 'come a cropper'.

Opposites

Commonly confused: come a cropper or crop up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “come a cropper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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