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

While the summer focuses on prepared foods, the Toupses also do holiday drop-offs during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Valentine’s Day that provide ingredients for preparing festive meals at home. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026

Aliso Beach has a steep drop-off near the shoreline, where several kids took the warnings seriously. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Verb

Election officials are asking voters to visit nearby drop boxes outside of evacuation zones to drop off ballot packets. — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

The deadline for Miller to drop off the ballot is tomorrow; CNN will interview him later today. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 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