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

Schools can request waivers if the rule disrupts pick-ups or drop-offs. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025

In Ocho Rios, the vast fringing reef shelf has drop-offs on the northern side perfect for spotting diverse soft and hard corals like staghorn, sea fan and brain coral. —Adrienne Jordan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Verb

Daily life in at least one of Venezuela’s major cities, Maracaibo, the country’s second-largest, seemed to go on as normal — children being dropped off at schools and adults still going to and from work. —Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

Worrying Late on a Thursday night in February, a caseworker dropped off the infant and toddler with no shoes and no diapers. —Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

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