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
dropped off; dropping off; drops off
: to fall asleep
Synonyms
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
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
The national decline in reading Reading scores on the NAEP have been declining nationwide since 2017, with the sharpest drop-off after the pandemic.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2025
Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
The afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 21, a school bus dropped off the Hernando County student, who then began walking north alongside an unpaved and unmarked road in Brooksville, according to law enforcement.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for drop-off 
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Noun
But for a team like the Sky seeking backcourt players — preferably lengthy wings with playmaking ability — there’s a sizable drop-off between the second and third picks.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
The national decline in reading Reading scores on the NAEP have been declining nationwide since 2017, with the sharpest drop-off after the pandemic.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
The safety play dropped off after the free-agent departures of Xavier McKinney and Julian Love in the past two offseasons.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
The afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 21, a school bus dropped off the Hernando County student, who then began walking north alongside an unpaved and unmarked road in Brooksville, according to law enforcement.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for drop-off
Dictionary Entries Near drop-off
Cite this Entry
“Drop-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop-off. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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