drop-off

1 of 2

noun

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

dropped off; dropping off; drops off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

Examples of drop-off in a Sentence

Verb my interest in photography has dropped off over the years
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Toy drop-off locations are at other county airports. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023 The agency added, however, that the drop-off may be to bad weather passing over the country that can hamper the ability of seismic instruments to pick up the smallest temblors. Denise Chow, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023 For example, a typical woman might do childcare drop-off before going to work. Adrienne So, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023 The commission approved similarly dramatic solar incentive cuts for single-family homes in December — a decision the industry says has prompted a steep drop-off in sales. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Describing morning coffee, school drop-offs, and evening television, Sánchez and Bezos sound like any ole middle-class family. Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023 The 2018 Oscars telecast saw a drop-off in ratings that has never been fully reversed. Alex Traub, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 Still, that was much less of a decline than the 9% decrease from China in 2021-22 and the 15% drop-off in 2020-21. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Subsistence fishing for chinook salmon is now banned on the Yukon, due to the severe drop-off in the number of fish. Clem De Pressigny, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
Verb
The county Board of Supervisors in September declared a humanitarian crisis for migrants who were being dropped off by the thousands at transit stations by federal border agents. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023 Forbes Valuation West dropped off the Forbes billionaires list last October after losing his deal with Adidas. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Recently, his mom dropped off Halloween candy for the kids, each bag inscribed with a greeting from Williams. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Interest in posts about the conflict has remained high on social media, where trending topics often drop off after a few days or weeks. Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023 In addition, drop off locations for both delivery services will have normal hours. Bychris Morris, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023 The group, which monitors internet connectivity by tracking what proportion of endpoint users can be reached online and return a signal, observed internet connectivity drop off precipitously across Gaza at 6:20 p.m. local time on Sunday. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023 Police said 33-year-old Christina Morrissette was charged with DUI-risk of injury to a minor after dropping off her child at Ledyard Middle School. Adam Sabes, Fox News, 7 Nov. 2023 In recent weeks, federal authorities have dropped off thousands of migrants at transit stations across the county. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drop-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1923, 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

Dictionary Entries Near drop-off

Cite this Entry

“Drop-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop-off. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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