falloff

1 of 2

noun

fall·​off ˈfȯl-ˌȯf 

: a decline especially in quantity or quality

a falloff in exports

a falloff of light intensity

fall off

2 of 2

verb

fell off; fallen off; falling off; falls off

intransitive verb

1

: trend sense 2b

2

of a ship : to deviate to leeward of the point to which the bow was directed

Synonyms

Noun

• abatement
• decline
• decrease
• decrement
• dent
• depletion
• depression
• diminishment
• diminution
• drop
• drop-off
• fall
• loss
• reduction
• shrinkage
• step-down

Verb

• arc
• arch
• bend
• bow
• crook
• curve
• hook
• round
• sweep
• swerve
• trend
• wheel

Examples of falloff in a Sentence

Noun

the falloff in sales was more than the store could weather and so its closing was inevitable

Verb

the coastline falls off toward the north after you round the bay

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, the Spurs did see a massive falloff once some of the legends retired. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Although researchers are still racing to figure out just how effective mRNA shots (and all shots) are at preventing illness from Omicron, initial research suggests that the falloff is significant. —Nicole Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2021

Verb

The government’s latest employment figures released Friday showed the job market is cooling in an orderly fashion, not falling off a cliff, when stripping out the temporary effects of recent labor strikes and natural disasters on data. —Bryan Mena, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024

Bronze then tries to blow on the flower — which typically results in the small seeds on the flower’s head falling off — but doesn't quite succeed. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1