Synonyms of drop-off
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
dropped off; dropping off; drops off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Such was the drop-off in form that Casemiro experienced at Manchester United, that he was omitted from Brazil’s Copa America squad in 2024 under previous coach Dorival Junior. Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026 Health policy experts said the drop-off is the clearest sign yet that the lapse of federal subsidies for ACA premiums is making insurance too expensive for many Americans, leading many households to drop their coverage. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 3 July 2026
Verb
Until her father– the guy who left them ages ago to become a monk– drops off the map with her life savings. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 Costco remains, although more purchases are coming from Whole Foods now that their prices have come down after the company was acquired by Amazon, and Amazon returns could be dropped off there. Michael Khouw, CNBC, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for drop-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drop-off was in 1812

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drop-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop-off. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster