falloff

1 of 2

noun

fall·​off ˈfȯl-ˌȯf 

: a decline especially in quantity or quality

a falloff in exports

a falloff of light intensity

fall off

2 of 2

verb

fell off; fallen off; falling off; falls off

intransitive verb

1

: trend sense 2b

2

of a ship : to deviate to leeward of the point to which the bow was directed

Synonyms

Noun

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

Verb

• arc
• arch
• bend
• bow
• crook
• curve
• hook
• round
• sweep
• swerve
• trend
• wheel

Examples of falloff in a Sentence

Noun

the falloff in sales was more than the store could weather and so its closing was inevitable

Verb

the coastline falls off toward the north after you round the bay

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Olympic sports such as wrestling and track & field–to say nothing of the infamous debut of breaking–have historically had a dramatic falloff in attention because of the lack of professional leagues that keep their athletes top of mind. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 18 Aug. 2024

Just before the falloff, a station wagon was parked. —Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024

Verb

Contrary to popular belief, Colin Jost's foot has not fallen off. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024

The absorption falls off on either side of the peak at just the right rate to give rise to the logarithmic scaling. —Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1