as in visiting
to make a brief visit
I'll either drop by on the way there or on the way back
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dropping by
The builders’ alternating harassment and bribery leaves Cook with little recourse, especially when mafioso-like representatives begin dropping by at all hours, leading to dry exchanges — what little dialogue the film has is extremely funny.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Killings have fallen in recent years, dropping by 28% statewide last year.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The grim news out of Tucson is that, thirteen days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, the odds of finding her alive have been dropping by the hour.
—Paige Williams, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
While overall cancer deaths have been on the decline for this age group since 1990, dropping by about 44% combined, CRC is the only major cancer that has seen a spike in mortality for those under 50 during that time period, the researchers noted.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
But these folks keep dropping by and consuming precious time.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The Standard versions are indeed cheaper than yesterday’s Premium trims, with the Model Y dropping by $5,000 and the Model 3 by $5,500.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
No Breaks also will feature guests dropping by to share their real-life stories, and audiences will be able to chime in in the chat to steer the conversation.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
Health inspectors observed rodents dropping by the dry storage area where bulk packages of flour were stored.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2025
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
Killings have fallen in recent years, dropping by 28% statewide last year.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
The grim news out of Tucson is that, thirteen days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, the odds of finding her alive have been dropping by the hour.
—Paige Williams, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
While overall cancer deaths have been on the decline for this age group since 1990, dropping by about 44% combined, CRC is the only major cancer that has seen a spike in mortality for those under 50 during that time period, the researchers noted.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
But these folks keep dropping by and consuming precious time.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The Standard versions are indeed cheaper than yesterday’s Premium trims, with the Model Y dropping by $5,000 and the Model 3 by $5,500.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
No Breaks also will feature guests dropping by to share their real-life stories, and audiences will be able to chime in in the chat to steer the conversation.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
Health inspectors observed rodents dropping by the dry storage area where bulk packages of flour were stored.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dropping by
Verb
-
Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said Shamkhani’s appointment signals that Iran is preparing for the possibility of a US decapitation strike – potentially targeting the Supreme Leader himself.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Sunderland 1-1 Fulham Everton vs Manchester United An evening kick-off at Goodison Park, under the floodlights, could be intimidating for visiting teams — and sometimes for the home team.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Inside the Talarico decision The CBS intervention stemmed from Colbert’s interview with James Talarico, a Texas state representative and rising star in the Democratic Party, who is currently running in the Texas Senate primary.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Middleton is currently running in the Republican primary for Texas Attorney General.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Veteran infielder Urshela, 34, played for the Twins in 2022, coming over in the trade that sent Josh Donaldson to the New York Yankees.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sexton, one of the seven new players who took the court Saturday, scored 17 points in his debut after coming over from the Charlotte Hornets in the Coby White trade.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even just dropping in to hold the baby so her daughter can take a one-hour nap goes a long way.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
When playing within their own half, United adjust into a 5-4-1 with the No 10s dropping in to better protect central midfield.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tomlin won a Super Bowl and never had a losing season in 19 years as a coach but hasn’t won a playoff game in a decade, with the previous five losses coming by double digits, including a 30-6 home loss to Houston on Monday.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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The $5 billion expansion program has grown beyond the scope of what airport officials originally imagined, with a total of 32 gates coming by the early 2030s.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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April was stepping in for CJ Robbins, who was promoted to Minnesota’s defensive line coach.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
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Across Philadelphia, residents say progress is happening in different ways — sometimes through city crews and sometimes through neighbors stepping in to help one another.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dropping by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropping%20by. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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