name-dropping

noun

name-drop·​ping ˈnām-ˌdrä-piŋ 

: the studied but seemingly casual mention of prominent persons as associates done to impress others

name-drop

ˈnām-ˌdräp 

intransitive verb

name-dropper

ˈnām-ˌdrä-pər 

noun

Examples of name-dropping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The issue is the new name-dropping that’s come since her book came out. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026

Kahan’s subject matter sets him apart from most of his adult-contemporary contemporaries, often directly mentioning an interstate highway or name-dropping a city in the New England region. — Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026

Instead, there’s a whole lot of Wells Fargo name-dropping in Kristen’s explanation that the Active Cash Credit Card is funding cash prizes for the Elimination challenge. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026

Posen’s name-dropping has a flowchart momentum, each acquaintance branching off into subsequent friendships, projects, parties. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for name-dropping

• intercropping
• overtopping
• telescoping
• chopping
• copping
• cropping
• dropping
• flopping
• hopping
• lopping
• mopping
• popping