drop-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈdräp-ˌȯf 

1

: a very steep or perpendicular descent

2

: a marked dwindling or decline

a drop-off in attendance

3

: the act or an instance of making a usually brief deposit or delivery

drop-off points along the route

drop off

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈȯf 

dropped off; dropping off; drops off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

Synonyms of drop-off

Noun

• decrease
• reduction
• drop
• decline
• dent

Examples of drop-off in a Sentence

Noun

the drop-off in movie attendance was the greatest in more than a decade

Verb

my interest in photography has dropped off over the years

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In Southern California, the drop-off really arrives between Saturday and Sunday, but Tropical Storm Rachel will be at work here also influencing the forecast. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

For families navigating school drop-offs, carpools, sports practices and road trips, sliding doors still beat long SUV doors in a crowded parking lot. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

In other areas, like Lee’s Summit, Independence and parts of Johnson County, residents will need to drop off their trash at a facility. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Cameras mounted on the buses show cars pulled over, dropping off people, or picking up food. — David Wade, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for drop-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff