drop the ball

Idioms and Phrases

Make an error; miss an opportunity. For example, She really dropped the ball when she forgot to call back , or He dropped the ball, turning down their offer . This expression comes from sports where a player who fails to catch a ball is charged with an error. Its use for more general kinds of mistakes dates from about 1950.

Related Words

• err
• misconstrue
• misinterpret
• misjudge
• misread
• misunderstand
• overestimate
• overrate
• overvalue
• underestimate
• undervalue