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• drop-off
  drop-off

  noun

  a vertical or very steep descent.
• drop off
  drop off

  verb

  (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline

drop-off

American  

[drop-awf, -of] / ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• drop-offs
  plural

1. a vertical or very steep descent.

   The trail has a drop-off of several hundred feet.

2. a decline; decrease.

   Sales have shown a considerable drop-off this year.

3. a place where a person or thing can be left, received, accommodated, etc..

   a new drop-off for outpatients.

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adjective

1. applied when a rented vehicle is left elsewhere than at the point of hire.

   to pay a drop-off charge.

drop off British  

verb

1. (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline

2. (tr) to allow to alight; set down

3. informal (intr) to fall asleep

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noun

1. a steep or vertical descent

2. a sharp decrease

drop off Idioms  

1. Fall asleep, as in When I looked at Grandma, she had dropped off . [Early 1800s]

2. Decrease; also, become less frequent. For example, Sales have dropped off markedly , or Over the year her visits dropped off . [Early 1800s]

3. Deliver, unload, as in Bill dropped off the package at the office .

4. Die, as in He is so ill he could drop off any time . [Early 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drop-offs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of drop-off

First recorded in 1955–60; noun, adj. use of verb phrase drop off

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drop-off drop off drop-offs

The RAC, which conducted the analysis in July this year, has campaigned against increases in drop-off charges.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Ford’s steep drop-off in sales in 2026 is expected to result in Hyundai Motor unseating it as the No. 3 car company in the U.S. by sales, according to Cox Automotive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

But they also noted that some of the drop-off this year coincided with the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

“Breakfast” typically consists of coffee and a protein bar eaten as she pulls out of the school drop-off line.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

He kept his eyes on the high school drop-off area, too.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

The unit is ensuring Volodymyr, Grandpa as they call him, has enough to eat - drones drop off food parcels on their way to feed soldiers at the front.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

After our office was cleared, we were all sent home, only to be told to return the next day to drop off our contaminated clothes in trash bags.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The company also said the drop off was "not necessarily bot behaviour on social media platforms".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Robotaxi rules vary by airport: In Phoenix, the cars drop off and pick up at the curb.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

So much more involved than Johnny in the brewing storm, Rab had been able to drop off immediately.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

None of the top 10 airports in the European Union charge for drop-offs, according to the RAC .

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The added bonus— I could do all of this between school drop-offs, pick-ups and everything in between.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

During the school year, parking on the north side of Pico is restricted for several hours each day for student drop-offs at a nearby school, she said, forcing drivers onto her side of the street.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

While broadcast evening news and morning shows have suffered from viewer drop-offs as audiences splinter and get their information from a range of sources, the declines at CBS have been particularly steep.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Meanwhile, Barbara and John, at fourteen and eleven, needed everything from skating-lesson drop-offs to late-night homework advice.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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Related Words

• diminish
• dwindle
• fall away
• fall off
• lessen
• sag
• slacken

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