Flipping

Flipping is the act of turning something over, around an axis, or reversing its orientation or state. The term is used across many domains to describe a physical action, a digital operation, or a short‑term strategy aimed at profit.

Physical flipping includes turning food items such as pancakes or burgers, flipping a card or coin to reveal its other side, or flipping a switch to change a device from off to on. In sports or gymnastics, a flip refers to a somersault or rotational movement. Flipping can also describe flipping objects for inspection or use.

In real estate and collectibles, house flipping refers to purchasing a property, renovating or improving it, and selling it quickly for a profit. Success depends on purchase price, renovation costs, market conditions, and financing terms, while risk arises from price volatility, holding costs, and time on the market. The term also applies to rapid turnover of items such as sneakers or art, where profit depends on demand and timing.

In computing and digital media, a bit flip means a single binary digit changing from 0 to 1 or 1 to 0, which can cause errors or trigger error-correcting mechanisms. Flipping an image or a video frame refers to mirroring or inverting orientation, such as horizontal or vertical flipping in graphics software. Many programming environments provide flip or toggle operations to alter boolean states or visual representations.

In probability and games, a coin flip is a random process used to make a decision or determine a winner, based on an approximately even chance of two outcomes. The concept underscores the role of chance in decision-making and game design.