Synonyms of dropping

dropping 1 of 2

noun

ˈdrä-piŋ 

1

as in dung

droppings plural solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal

the only bad part about owning a rabbit was cleaning the droppings out of the litter box every night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dung
• dirt
• soil
• excrement
• poop
• feces
• muck
• slops
• excreta
• scat
• waste
• ordure
• stool
• doo-doo
• manure
• night soil
• sewage
• guano
• dunghill
• sewerage
• midden
• spoor
• coprolite

2

as in cancellation

the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to

the dropping of an act from the talent show should bring it in on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cancellation
• repeal
• abandonment
• calling
• abolition
• revocation
• abortion
• rescission
• ending
• recall
• stopping
• calling off
• recision
• termination
• halting
• invalidation
• neutralization
• surrender
• reversal
• annulment
• nullification
• abolishment
• relinquishment
• voidance
• rollback
• giving up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuation
• beginning
• initiation
• engagement
• undertaking
• commencement

dropping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drop

1

as in throwing

to cause to fall intentionally or unintentionally

I dropped the fly ball

drop the anchor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• throwing
• lowering
• flattening
• throwing down
• depressing
• toppling
• plopping
• fumbling
• leveling
• sinking
• striking down
• knocking over
• knocking down
• submerging
• immersing
• flooring
• bungling
• plunking down
• bobbling
• foozling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• raising
• lifting
• picking up

2

as in plunging

to go to a lower level especially abruptly

although they start out high, prices for home electronics eventually drop

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plunging
• falling
• dipping
• declining
• tumbling
• plummeting
• skidding
• decreasing
• descending
• sinking
• crashing
• lowering
• diving
• cratering
• nose-diving
• retreating
• diminishing
• subsiding
• drooping
• dying (down)
• dwindling
• moderating
• waning
• tapering off
• ebbing
• lessening
• letting up
• receding
• abating
• de-escalating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rising
• lifting
• ascending
• mounting
• arising
• soaring
• increasing
• growing
• spiking
• building
• expanding
• accumulating
• escalating
• upping
• swelling
• enlarging
• intensifying
• burgeoning
• picking up
• mushrooming
• snowballing
• waxing
• ballooning

3

as in stopping

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

drop what you're doing and come here

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stopping
• ending
• halting
• ceasing
• quitting
• delaying
• suspending
• breaking
• discontinuing
• finishing
• cutting off
• laying off
• breaking off
• shutting off
• concluding
• checking
• cutting out
• packing (up or in)
• leaving off
• knocking off
• giving over
• breaking up
• completing
• canning
• holding
• having done with
• blocking
• pausing
• desisting (from)
• putting the kibosh on
• ruining
• staying
• stemming
• impeding
• closing (down)
• suppressing
• deactivating
• destroying
• obstructing
• calling
• hindering
• aborting
• dissolving
• detaining
• scuttling
• holding back
• squashing
• killing
• arresting
• abolishing
• stamping
• squelching
• demolishing
• turning back
• stunting
• blockading
• braking
• damming
• snuffing
• clamping down
• kiboshing
• annulling
• reining (in)
• stanching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuing
• carrying on
• running on
• keeping up
• proceeding
• advancing
• progressing
• driving
• stirring
• propelling
• following through (with)
• actuating
• impelling

4

as in abandoning

to stop doing (something) permanently

isn't it time you dropped that smoking habit and spent your money on better things?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abandoning
• discontinuing
• quitting
• ending
• finishing
• having done (with)
• laying off (of)
• packing (up or in)
• giving up
• ceasing
• closing
• hanging it up
• concluding
• pausing
• halting
• knocking off
• shutting off
• breaking off
• expiring
• tapering off
• terminating
• leaving off
• throwing up
• breaking up
• wrapping up
• winding up
• rounding (off or out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• keeping
• maintaining
• continuing
• going
• carrying on
• keeping up
• running on
• persisting
• hanging on
• hanging in
• holding on
• staying
• starting
• preserving
• renewing
• reopening
• resuming
• beginning
• persevering
• commencing
• restarting
• following through (with)

5

as in falling

to lead or extend downward

the cable car tracks can drop suddenly, so be sure to hang onto something

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plunging
• falling
• descending
• sloping
• sinking
• dipping
• tilting
• leaning
• declining
• tipping
• angling
• slanting
• inclining
• reclining
• listing
• cocking
• canting
• heeling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rising
• ascending
• climbing
• mounting
• arising
• uprising
• evening
• upturning
• upsweeping
• flattening
• straightening
• smoothing
• leveling
• planing

6

as in canceling

to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)

drop that plan in favor of another

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abandoning
• canceling
• scrapping
• revoking
• aborting
• repealing
• scrubbing
• recalling
• rescinding
• withdrawing
• calling
• reversing
• suspending
• calling off
• terminating
• halting
• retracting
• ending
• interrupting
• invalidating
• stopping
• crying off
• nullifying
• discontinuing
• abrogating
• voiding
• annulling
• taking back
• writing off
• relinquishing
• rolling back
• breaking off
• recanting
• holding back
• surrendering
• countermanding
• giving up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuing
• keeping
• starting
• engaging
• beginning
• commencing
• initiating
• promising
• pledging
• undertaking
• taking up
• taking on

7

as in producing

to bring forth from the womb

the cow dropped her calf early this morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• producing
• having
• delivering
• bearing
• giving birth to
• mothering
• birthing
• getting
• generating
• spawning
• reproducing
• propagating
• breeding
• laboring
• multiplying
• siring
• fathering
• begetting
• littering
• kidding
• kindling
• calving
• whelping
• kittening
• pupping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• losing
• aborting
• miscarrying

8

as in downing

to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall

dropped the would-be mugger in his tracks with a single well-aimed blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• downing
• hitting
• toppling
• smacking
• slapping
• slamming
• punching
• knocking over
• banging
• bowling (down or over)
• mowing (down)
• felling
• leveling
• pounding
• knocking down
• thumping
• jabbing
• poking
• overthrowing
• flooring
• knocking out
• prostrating
• whacking
• throwing down
• slugging
• pasting
• swiping
• socking
• swatting
• kayoing
• KO'ing
• hammering
• smiting
• bashing
• bludgeoning
• clobbering
• thwacking
• walloping
• slogging
• belting
• whaling

9

as in losing

to fail to win, gain, or obtain

the local hockey team has dropped two out of the last three contests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• losing
• forfeiting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• winning
• prevailing (over)
• nailing (down)
• conquering
• triumphing (over)

10

as in dripping

to fall or let fall in or as if in drops

the cold glass dropped condensation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dripping
• pouring
• flowing
• trickling
• sprinkling
• distilling
• dribbling
• rolling
• streaming
• rippling
• running
• bleeding
• seeping
• cascading
• weeping
• oozing
• drizzling
• discharging
• riffling
• exuding
• guttering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gushing
• spouting
• spurting

11

as in paying

to hand over or use up in payment

I dropped $50 on these shoes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paying
• spending
• giving
• disbursing
• expending
• laying out
• shelling out
• outlaying
• forking (over, out, or up)
• raining
• wasting
• lavishing
• dissipating
• blowing
• squandering
• throwing away
• running through
• frittering (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saving
• making
• acquiring
• gaining
• securing
• winning
• earning
• procuring
• realizing
• hoarding
• laying up
• caching
• garnering

12

as in mentioning

to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically

he would ever so "casually" drop the names of celebrities he knew personally

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mentioning
• citing
• specifying
• noticing
• indicating
• quoting
• noting
• introducing
• touching (on or upon)
• suggesting
• referring (to)
• naming
• explaining
• announcing
• implying
• adverting (to)
• publishing
• inferring
• intending
• clarifying
• signaling
• pronouncing
• pointing (out)
• alluding (to)
• intimating
• instancing
• infiltrating
• interpolating
• designating
• signifying
• hinting (at)
• declaring
• proclaiming
• interjecting
• publicizing
• advertising
• broadcasting
• bringing up
• denominating
• interposing
• elucidating
• broaching
• clearing (up)
• spelling out
• sounding
• insinuating
• explicating
• worming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• forgetting
• neglecting
• disregarding
• overlooking
• passing over
• slighting
• overpassing

13

as in reducing

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent

with these icy road conditions, drivers should be dropping their speed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reducing
• decreasing
• lowering
• depleting
• diminishing
• minimizing
• slashing
• dwindling
• denting
• downsizing
• easing
• lessening
• compressing
• cutting
• knocking down
• abating
• shrinking
• downscaling
• paring
• shortening
• cutting down
• trimming
• truncating
• de-escalating
• condensing
• curtailing
• nicking
• clipping
• contracting
• abbreviating
• whittling
• modifying
• retrenching
• pruning
• cutting back
• constricting
• cropping
• abridging
• modulating
• docking
• deflating
• moderating
• qualifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• expanding
• raising
• escalating
• augmenting
• boosting
• enlarging
• amplifying
• extending
• swelling
• inflating
• lengthening
• dilating
• adding (to)
• blowing up
• supplementing
• prolonging
• complementing
• enhancing
• aggrandizing
• intensifying
• distending
• elongating
• heightening
• protracting
• redoubling

14

as in dying

to stop living

during the Black Death people all over Asia and Europe were dropping like flies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dying
• falling
• succumbing
• perishing
• departing
• disappearing
• exiting
• ending
• going
• expiring
• passing (on)
• checking out
• passing away
• parting
• buying it
• fading
• popping off
• stepping out
• kicking off
• kicking in
• croaking
• deceasing
• pegging out
• demising
• snuffing it
• flatlining
• giving up the ghost
• kicking the bucket
• failing
• conking (out)
• biting the dust
• consuming
• drying up
• predeceasing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• living
• breathing
• coming to
• reviving
• being
• lingering
• existing
• flourishing
• subsisting
• thriving
• prospering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dropping

Noun

Signs of degradation, like old, torn or missing insulation, as well as mold, mildew or rodent droppings, indicate a need to replace the insulation. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026

Software stocks also ended the day in the red, with Salesforce, Intuit and Cadence Design Systems dropping. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

Joel Embiid had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Kelly Oubre scored 21 points for Philadelphia, which has won three straight after dropping its previous four. —CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

After dropping the first match of the affair, Simley won the next four to claim a 15-3 advantage. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Feb. 2026