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Showing results for airdrop. Search instead for airdropping.
Synonyms

airdrop

American  
[air-drop] / ˈɛərˌdrɒp /

verb (used with object)

airdropped, airdropping
  1. to drop (persons, equipment, etc.) by parachute from an aircraft in flight.


noun

  1. the act or process of airdropping.

airdrop British  
/ ˈɛəˌdrɒp /

noun

  1. a delivery of supplies, troops, etc, from an aircraft by parachute

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to deliver (supplies, etc) by an airdrop

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of airdrop

First recorded in 1945–50; air 1 + drop

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“We have to perform the airdrop as a surprise, so people don’t gather below,” Phille said earlier.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 14, 2025

This was the largest coalition airdrop of the war: 14 aircraft from nine nations delivering 10 tonnes of aid.

From BBC Apr. 9, 2024

Early on Tuesday, the British government announced that it had carried out its first airdrop of food into Gaza.

From BBC Mar. 26, 2024

It said that army troops trained in aerial delivery were part of the airdrop, and that it was planning more such missions.

From New York Times Mar. 5, 2024

On May 6,1 set up a base camp on the ice cap just northeast of the Thumb and waited for the airdrop.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Efforts to reach people in areas still cut off are ongoing, with aid having to be airdropped into some places.

From BBC Dec. 6, 2025

The United States, France and others have airdropped tens of thousands of military-style meals into Gaza, but those deliveries have fallen far short of the 6.6 million meals that are needed each day.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 12, 2024

“The issue of aid is brutal and no one accepts it,” said another resident, Momen Mahra, claiming that most airdropped aid falls into the sea.

From Seattle Times Mar. 9, 2024

Air Force cargo planes airdropped 66 pallets over southwest Gaza, according to a U.S. official.

From New York Times Mar. 2, 2024

Then adds, “A few years back, I remember hearing about a stranded cruise ship. They airdropped them Spam and Pop-Tarts. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have MoonPies.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

The result is that an average food delivery by truck costs $180 per ton, while airdropping is a whopping $16,000 per ton, according to a U.S.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 14, 2025

With the humanitarian crisis worsening, the United States this month started airdropping food and water into the enclave.

From New York Times Mar. 17, 2024

The US Air Force has released footage of American cargo planes airdropping humanitarian aid into northern Gaza.

From BBC Mar. 6, 2024

Biden had said Friday that the United States would begin airdropping humanitarian relief supplies into Gaza, working with Jordan, which has been at the forefront of such efforts recently, as well as other allies.

From Seattle Times Mar. 2, 2024

Initially, the copycat protests consisted of individual students furtively leaving posters with those slogans on their campuses or airdropping fliers to strangers in public places — what activists called a “poster movement.”

From Washington Post Nov. 10, 2022

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