Meaning & use
flip turn
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Meaning
nouncountablesport
in swimming, a fast turn at the end of a lap in which the swimmer somersaults underwater and pushes off the wall
Grammar: Countable noun: use a/an or a plural. Often used in competitive swimming contexts.
Patterns
- do a flip turn
- use a flip turn
- practice flip turns
She executed a perfect flip turn and gained speed off the wall.
The coach told him to practice flip turns after every set.
In freestyle races, swimmers use a flip turn to reverse direction quickly.
Word forms
| plural | flip turns |
|---|
Common combinations
- do a flip turn
- He learned to do a flip turn in just one lesson.
- perfect flip turn
- Her perfect flip turn helped her win the race.
- practice flip turns
- The team spent the morning practicing flip turns.
- flip turn technique
- Good flip turn technique saves valuable seconds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tumble turn
- Tumble turn is the British term for the same swimming move; flip turn is more common in American English.
Word family
Commonly confused: flip turn or flip-flop?
flip turn vs flip-flop
A flip-flop is a sandal or a change of opinion; a flip turn is a swimming move.
Practice
In freestyle races, swimmers use a ______ to reverse direction at the wall.
Choose one answer.
The context is swimming, so 'flip turn' is correct. 'Flip-flop' is a sandal or a change of opinion, 'flip-flopper' is a person, and 'flip-flopping' is an activity, none of which fit the swimming context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flip turn”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.