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

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 their statement, the family encouraged parents to voice their concerns and questions and ask to see the policies and procedures like bus drop-off, pickup and transfers that directly affect their children's safety. —Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Her 25-year-old daughter, who still works at Amazon on a day shift, has moved back into the home and is handling drop-offs for her three younger siblings. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025

Verb

If there’s a massive drop off in talent, select the best player with the intention of trading them later for a better team fit. —Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Temperatures will gradually drop off early this week with more substantial heat relief expected by the middle of the week. —ABC News, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1923, 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