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

The ratings decline comes amid a continuation of the drop-off in TV viewers overall — but Fox News has been losing viewers at a double-digit clip as CNN and MS NOW have been slightly up in recent months. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026

But this year, that drop-off was more pronounced – a likely reflection of the massive investment and rapid adoption of artificial intelligence technologies as well as a sign of what could come, Long said. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

The older brother, Marques Smith, said in an interview with detectives that they were dropped off from work at 29th Street and Indiana Avenue minutes before police officers were seen in the area, according to court records. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Those who plan to or who have already dropped off a ballot before Election Day support Democrats over Republicans by a 50-point margin. — ABC News, 22 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