drop-in

1 of 2

noun

1
: a casual visit or brief stop
2
: one who drops in : a casual visitor

drop in

2 of 2

verb

dropped in; dropping in; drops in

intransitive verb

: to pay an unexpected or casual visit
often used with on

Examples of drop-in in a Sentence

Noun we're having open house for New Year's, and drop-ins are welcome to come and go as they please Verb drop in any time—we're always home
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Our Safe Place has drop-in centers and mental health clinics around the county for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Shawna Chen, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 Orlando’s professional dancers teach and take drop-in dance classes at studio Underground Movement. Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2025 Services for the most vulnerable people, including mobile clinics and drop-in centres, are shut down. Julie Cerullo, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025 But the show's newest season may have outdone itself, pulling off a particularly sneaky drop-in. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drop-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drop-in was circa 1600

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drop-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop-in. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!