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Prepositions with verbs and participles

Flipping through, over, between, to, or of?

Flipping through and flipping over are common verb combinations. Flipping to is also natural for moving to a page or channel. Flipping between is used for switching repeatedly. Flipping of is not standard in this meaning.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with flipping?

Use flipping through for browsing pages quickly, flipping over for turning something to the other side, flipping to for moving directly to a page or channel, and flipping between for switching back and forth. Flipping of is not an idiomatic combination for these meanings.

She was flipping through a magazine.
He kept flipping between two news channels.
Please stop flipping over the cards.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
flip through + pages

Browsing quickly

Use through when moving quickly across pages, photos, or similar material.

I spent the evening flipping through old photo albums.
She was flipping through the report before the meeting.
2
flip over + object

Turning something to the other side

Use over when physically turning an object.

He carefully flipping over the pancake.
Try flipping over the page for the answer.
3
flip to + page or channel

Moving directly to a place

Use to when changing directly to a page, section, or television channel.

She kept flipping to the sports section.
He was flipping to another channel.
4
flip between + options

Switching back and forth

Use between for repeated movement from one option to another.

I was flipping between apps during the presentation.
They kept flipping between English and Spanish.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
flipping through
She was flipping through a fashion magazine.
Correct for browsing quickly through pages or images.
flipping over
He was flipping over the cards one by one.
Correct for turning something physically.
flipping between
We were flipping between radio stations.
Correct for repeated switching between choices.
flipping to
She kept flipping to the final chapter.
Correct for moving directly to a specific place.
flipping of
They discussed the flipping of the sign.
Of is not used after flipping in the common movement meanings above. Here of belongs to the noun flipping, not the verb phrase.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of after flipping as a verb

Flipping of is not a standard verb-preposition pattern for browsing or switching.

✕ She was flipping of the pages. ✓ She was flipping through the pages.

Using over instead of through for browsing

Over usually means turning something physically.

✕ He sat flipping over a magazine for an hour. ✓ He sat flipping through a magazine for an hour.

Using between with only one option

Between needs two or more alternatives.

✕ She was flipping between the newspaper. ✓ She was flipping through the newspaper.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He spent the flight flipping ___ a travel magazine.
2. Please stop flipping ___ the remote channels every minute.
3. She flipped ___ page 42 to check the answer.

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Frequently asked questions

Is flipping through informal?

It is common in both everyday and neutral written English.

What is the difference between flipping through and flipping over?

Flipping through means browsing quickly across pages. Flipping over means turning something onto the other side.

Can flipping of ever be correct?

Only when flipping is used as a noun, as in the flipping of a coin. It is not the usual verb pattern.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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