drop-off
noun
a vertical or very steep descent.
drop-off
American
[drop-awf, -of]
/ ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
drop-offs
plural
-
a vertical or very steep descent.
The trail has a drop-off of several hundred feet.
-
a decline; decrease.
Sales have shown a considerable drop-off this year.
-
a place where a person or thing can be left, received, accommodated, etc..
a new drop-off for outpatients.
adjective
drop off
British
verb
-
(intr) to grow smaller or less; decline
-
(tr) to allow to alight; set down
-
informal (intr) to fall asleep
noun
-
a steep or vertical descent
-
a sharp decrease
drop off
Idioms
-
Fall asleep, as in When I looked at Grandma, she had dropped off . [Early 1800s]
-
Decrease; also, become less frequent. For example, Sales have dropped off markedly , or Over the year her visits dropped off . [Early 1800s]
-
Deliver, unload, as in Bill dropped off the package at the office .
-
Die, as in He is so ill he could drop off any time . [Early 1800s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of drop-off
First recorded in 1955–60; noun, adj. use of verb phrase drop off
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:
In the S&P 500, the drop-off from McHugh is stark: His nearest peers trail him by more than $100 million, according to an analysis of MyLogIQ data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates $36 billion to $43 billion will be needed to improve recycling curbside collection, drop-off, and processing infrastructure by 2030.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Other numbers in Friday’s report show the drop-off on audits of corporations, as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
As the voters deliver their ballots to neighborhood drop-off sites and others wait to vote in person Tuesday, Times reporters fanned out across the city to ask residents whom they planned to support for mayor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
I drove along the highway to the edge of town, then pulled over at the drop-off overlooking the Bear River.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
The second option is to drop off and block space but this has its own problems:
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
It is a game of trade-offs and Tuchel will have to decide whether he opts to drop off or defend more aggressively.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
By Thursday morning, residents were lining up to buy first-aid kits, flashlights, solar chargers, duct tape and tents to drop off at donation sites that sprang up across a community known as “Doralzuela.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Cody couldn’t get enough of the goings-on at the station when the two would stop by to drop off cassettes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Milk in refrig, I may get back after 3 to drop off groceries, and will then go back to study.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
In contrast, none of the top 10 airports in the EU charge for drop-offs, according to RAC research.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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
There were also larger drop-offs in states where a high proportion of people were automatically re-enrolled in their plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
The road features jaw-dropping views of the San Gabriel Valley, occasional wildflower blooms and steep drop-offs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
