drop-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈdräp-ˌȯf 

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

drop off

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈȯf 

dropped off; dropping off; drops off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

Synonyms of drop-off

Noun

• decrease
• reduction
• drop
• decline
• dent

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

Noun

Hundreds of municipal governments oversee food waste pickup or drop-off programs to allow for composting, though a much smaller number than the thousands of ordinary waste programs nationwide, indicating room to grow. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

The Devil’s Backbone is named as such because of its shape, including segments where hikers walk a narrow stretch with steep drop-offs on both sides. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Verb

Documentation can be submitted by USPS regular mail, e-mail or walk-in drop off. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026

Sheeran continued his tour without support acts in Philadelphia earlier this month, following every opener dropping off the bill in support of Macklemore. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for drop-off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff