needle drop

noun

plural needle drops

1

: the dropping of needles by a conifer (such as a spruce, yew, or pine)

Fall needle drop occurs each year …

—Deborah Brown

2

: a popular song used in a film or television show for dramatic effect

… heavy metal needle drops add a flourish to sword fights …

—Robert Daniels

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

needle-drop scores

Examples of needle drop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gunn brought his signature blend of heart, humor, and needle drops, delivering an entertaining blockbuster that stood in clear contrast to the excessively dark DC films of the 2010s. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026

With her Democratic Socialists of America sass, bright amethyst blazers and Bollywood needle drops on Instagram, the lifelong Angeleno cuts a stark contrast to her rival, Deputy Dist. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

His resume includes the perfect on-screen needle drops for series Green Leaf, The Chi, Power, and now, A Different World. — Elise Brisco, VIBE.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Despite burning down prom in Prime Video‘s Carrie, the titular telekinetic teen still got to dance a little, thanks to Mike Flanagan‘s big finale needle drop. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for needle drop

• barbershop
• countertop
• lollipop
• mountaintop
• photoshop
• tabletop
• turboprop
• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop