diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 80b12c2679..92df42120a 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # ggplot2 (development version)
 
+* `coord_flip()` has been marked as superseded. The recommended alternative is
+  to swap the `x` and `y` aesthetic and/or using the `orientation` argument in
+  a layer (@teunbrand, #5130).
 * `stat_align()` is now applied per panel instead of globally, preventing issues
   when facets have different ranges (@teunbrand, #5227).
 * A stacking bug in `stat_align()` was fixed (@teunbrand, #5176).
diff --git a/R/coord-flip.R b/R/coord-flip.R
index 3f500ed95e..8ea5614580 100644
--- a/R/coord-flip.R
+++ b/R/coord-flip.R
@@ -1,30 +1,48 @@
 #' Cartesian coordinates with x and y flipped
 #'
-#' Flip cartesian coordinates so that horizontal becomes vertical, and
-#' vertical, horizontal. This is primarily useful for converting geoms and
-#' statistics which display y conditional on x, to x conditional on y.
+#' @description
+#' `r lifecycle::badge("superseded")`
+#'
+#' This function is superseded because in many cases, `coord_flip()` can easily
+#' be replaced by swapping the x and y aesthetics, or optionally setting the
+#' `orientation` argument in geom and stat layers.
+#'
+#' `coord_flip()` is useful for geoms and statistics that do not support
+#' the `orientation` setting, and converting the display of y conditional on x,
+#' to x conditional on y.
 #'
 #' @export
 #' @inheritParams coord_cartesian
 #' @examples
-#' # Very useful for creating boxplots, and other interval
-#' # geoms in the horizontal instead of vertical position.
+#' # The preferred method of creating horizontal instead of vertical boxplots
+#' ggplot(diamonds, aes(price, cut)) +
+#'   geom_boxplot()
 #'
+#' # Using `coord_flip()` to make the same plot
 #' ggplot(diamonds, aes(cut, price)) +
 #'   geom_boxplot() +
 #'   coord_flip()
 #'
-#' h <- ggplot(diamonds, aes(carat)) +
-#'   geom_histogram()
-#' h
-#' h + coord_flip()
-#' h + coord_flip() + scale_x_reverse()
+#' # With swapped aesthetics, the y-scale controls the left axis
+#' ggplot(diamonds, aes(y = carat)) +
+#'   geom_histogram() +
+#'   scale_y_reverse()
+#'
+#' # In `coord_flip()`, the x-scale controls the left axis
+#' ggplot(diamonds, aes(carat)) +
+#'   geom_histogram() +
+#'   coord_flip() +
+#'   scale_x_reverse()
 #'
-#' # You can also use it to flip line and area plots:
-#' df <- data.frame(x = 1:5, y = (1:5) ^ 2)
-#' ggplot(df, aes(x, y)) +
-#'   geom_area()
-#' last_plot() + coord_flip()
+#' # In line and area plots, swapped aesthetics require an explicit orientation
+#' df <- data.frame(a = 1:5, b = (1:5) ^ 2)
+#' ggplot(df, aes(b, a)) +
+#'   geom_area(orientation = "y")
+#'
+#' # The same plot with `coord_flip()`
+#' ggplot(df, aes(a, b)) +
+#'   geom_area() +
+#'   coord_flip()
 coord_flip <- function(xlim = NULL, ylim = NULL, expand = TRUE, clip = "on") {
   ggproto(NULL, CoordFlip,
     limits = list(x = xlim, y = ylim),
diff --git a/man/coord_flip.Rd b/man/coord_flip.Rd
index 24629e844d..6f86fa4eda 100644
--- a/man/coord_flip.Rd
+++ b/man/coord_flip.Rd
@@ -23,27 +23,44 @@ limits, then those data points may show up in places such as the axes, the
 legend, the plot title, or the plot margins.}
 }
 \description{
-Flip cartesian coordinates so that horizontal becomes vertical, and
-vertical, horizontal. This is primarily useful for converting geoms and
-statistics which display y conditional on x, to x conditional on y.
+\ifelse{html}{\href{https://lifecycle.r-lib.org/articles/stages.html#superseded}{\figure{lifecycle-superseded.svg}{options: alt='[Superseded]'}}}{\strong{[Superseded]}}
+
+This function is superseded because in many cases, \code{coord_flip()} can easily
+be replaced by swapping the x and y aesthetics, or optionally setting the
+\code{orientation} argument in geom and stat layers.
+
+\code{coord_flip()} is useful for geoms and statistics that do not support
+the \code{orientation} setting, and converting the display of y conditional on x,
+to x conditional on y.
 }
 \examples{
-# Very useful for creating boxplots, and other interval
-# geoms in the horizontal instead of vertical position.
+# The preferred method of creating horizontal instead of vertical boxplots
+ggplot(diamonds, aes(price, cut)) +
+  geom_boxplot()
 
+# Using `coord_flip()` to make the same plot
 ggplot(diamonds, aes(cut, price)) +
   geom_boxplot() +
   coord_flip()
 
-h <- ggplot(diamonds, aes(carat)) +
-  geom_histogram()
-h
-h + coord_flip()
-h + coord_flip() + scale_x_reverse()
-
-# You can also use it to flip line and area plots:
-df <- data.frame(x = 1:5, y = (1:5) ^ 2)
-ggplot(df, aes(x, y)) +
-  geom_area()
-last_plot() + coord_flip()
+# With swapped aesthetics, the y-scale controls the left axis
+ggplot(diamonds, aes(y = carat)) +
+  geom_histogram() +
+  scale_y_reverse()
+
+# In `coord_flip()`, the x-scale controls the left axis
+ggplot(diamonds, aes(carat)) +
+  geom_histogram() +
+  coord_flip() +
+  scale_x_reverse()
+
+# In line and area plots, swapped aesthetics require an explicit orientation
+df <- data.frame(a = 1:5, b = (1:5) ^ 2)
+ggplot(df, aes(b, a)) +
+  geom_area(orientation = "y")
+
+# The same plot with `coord_flip()`
+ggplot(df, aes(a, b)) +
+  geom_area() +
+  coord_flip()
 }