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

Noun

• abatement
• decline
• decrease
• decrement
• dent
• depletion
• depression
• diminishment
• diminution
• drop
• fall
• falloff
• loss
• reduction
• shrinkage
• step-down

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

As tariff drama unfolds and threatens to snarl the movement of goods into the U.S., the San Pedro Bay ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could see steeper-than-anticipated drop-offs in cargo volume to kick off the first full week of May. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Apr. 2025

He was shot outside the airport terminal, near the drop-off area for Terminal 1 departures, according to Peel Regional Police, the agency that patrols the airport. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025

Verb

The Loren arranged for Oleander Cycles to drop off and pick up a scooter at the hotel for us, so the process couldn’t have been easier. —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2025

Roman was born in 1942 in a home for unwed mothers and was dropped off at a Dallas orphanage as a child. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1923, 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