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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

It is therefore no surprise that in a study of 25,000 Chinese students, AI use improved scores on homework while causing a significant drop-off in scores on exams when the students lacked technology access.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

"We know airport drop-off charges are a growing source of anger and frustration," said Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Early voting and drop-off locations for the general election will be posted to the secretary of state’s website here on Oct.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

I walk across campus toward the drop-off circle.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

The only issue came at one airport drop off when a slightly ajar door made Waymo think something was wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Tina Sampson-Smith from St Paul's community pantry, in Norton Lees, Sheffield, said a drop off in donations and a rise in demand had left them in a precarious situation.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Adikalie said: "When we're trying to contact customers to pick up and drop off their shoes, it's a bit of a struggle trying to get through to them."

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

When sales began to drop off because of generic entry, many pharma companies turned to mergers, which added scale and allowed them to strip out duplicative costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

When I went by Dr. Roland’s office a few minutes later to drop off the Xeroxes, I asked him if he could give me an advance on my work-study check.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

No parking or waiting restrictions will make driving through the city centre and its vicinity difficult, even for drop-offs.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 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

She mentions one of her friends, who has had to cut her working hours to be able to do the school drop-offs and picks-ups.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 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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