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to drop

to drop

3.1
To leave out a sound or part of a word
  • verb
  • /drɑp/
translation icon : abandonar
  • The decision by the Truman administration to drop the bombs illustrates self-interest going astray.
  • drop out of school
  • drop a course
  • drop out of college

And he also says, maybe we should drop politics, right?

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Examples

  • How do you know when it's time to drop your course?

  • Look, let's just drop this, okay?

  • And he also says, maybe we should drop politics, right?

  • So, boys, if we stand back, would we please drop the wrong answers?

  • One survey was administered to the students who dropped out of the program during the first year.

    Academic text (2015)
  • I can't just drop everything to be with you.

  • Ronald Reagan was elected president, and the Republican Party dropped equal rights from its platform.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Males were more likely than females to drop out of high school or college and work toward achievements.

    Academic text (2011)
  • One possibility may be that Hispanic adolescents drop out of school at considerably higher rates.

    Academic text (2008)
  • After careful consideration, I decided to drop my plans for a vacation to focus on my studies.

Synonyms

to leave
vsto drop
1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

also applies to excluding items or removing others, not only departing
to remove
vsto drop
1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

includes that removal but also covers simple omission or stopping actions
to take out
vsto drop
948 1.9

To remove something from a place or container

is broader, also meaning to omit or stop doing something
to quit
vsto drop
668 1.0

To stop doing a habit or activity like smoking

also covers leaving out items or removing people from groups
to cut
vsto drop
  • Informal
485 6.2

To not go to a class or meeting on purpose

also applies to omitting things or stopping actions in general
to withdraw
vsto drop
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

also covers a direct omission or actively removing someone from a group
to back off
vsto drop
  • Informal
356 2.8

Move away from someone, or stop taking part in something

can mean stepping back but also covers omission and removal
to leave out
vsto drop
312 2.3

To not include someone or something

adds the idea of also stopping actions or removing participants
to ditch
vsto drop
  • Informal
234 4.4

To abandon a person, plan, or thing suddenly

is broader and can mean neutral omission or formal removal too
to drop out
vsto drop
214 3.0

To leave a course, competition or group before finishing

is broader, including removing others or omitting items as well
to pull out
vsto drop
206 3.4

To stop being involved in an activity or agreement

is similar but also covers removing persons or leaving out things
to dismiss
vsto drop
110 2.7

To tell people to leave a meeting or room

also means to omit items or to stop doing something
to pull out of
vsto drop
79 3.2

Leave an activity or agreement you had joined

can mean that but also includes removing others or omitting items
to omit
vsto drop
66 3.4

Leave out something, for example a name, on purpose or by accident

focuses also on stopping actions and removing people from groups
to discontinue
vsto drop
58 4.2

To stop something that is happening or being given

is similar but the key also means omission or removing people
to send away
vsto drop
43 3.0

Make someone leave a job or group because of a problem

is related but the key also means to omit or stop actions
to pull off
vsto drop
20 4.4

To make a person or group stop taking part in something

is the more general action that can also mean omitting items
to leave off
vsto drop
12 4.4

Not include someone or something in a list

is broader, covering omission, stopping actions, and removing people
to send packing
vsto drop
  • Informal
8 6.5

To make someone leave quickly to show they are not wanted

covers sudden removals but also includes simple omission or stopping
to knock off
vsto drop
  • Informal
4 7.4

Stop doing something, often when it is annoying

is broader, including formal removals and planned omissions
to pretermit
vsto drop
  • Archaic
9.9

To leave something out on purpose

is more general, including casual omissions and stopping activities
cancel
vsto drop
1.0

No longer planned or scheduled

is related but the key also covers omitting items or people

Antonyms

1.0

To make a person or thing part of something larger

60 3.0

To hold something inside so it does not escape

Idioms

to drop the ball
  • Informal
38 6.1

Fail to do something you are responsible for

15 4.9

A very small amount that does not help with a much larger problem

13 4.2

Immediately and without delay

drop-dead
  • Informal
11 6.7

Very attractive or impressive

8 6.9

A lot of people suddenly fall ill or collapse

7 9.8

To tell the police about someone's crime, often secretly

To suddenly tell people something very surprising that shocks them

to drop a deuce
  • Offensive
3 9.9

To go to the toilet to poop in informal speech

To tell people shocking news suddenly

2 3.8

A very small amount compared with what is needed

to drop the soap
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Become vulnerable to sexual attack in prison, often used as a grim joke or warning

to drop the mic
  • Texting
1 8.8

Finish speaking or performing in a confident, impressive way that needs no reply

to drop a bollock
  • Offensive
9.9

To make a serious, embarrassing mistake by being careless

9.9

To let food fall by accident or make an embarrassing mistake

9.7

To use the F-word to shock people

drop in the pond
  • Informal
5.8

A very small amount compared with what is needed

drop in the sea
  • Informal
5.5

A very small amount compared with what is needed

9.7

To suddenly and completely stop supporting something

To suddenly lose control of your feelings because you feel overwhelmed

4.4

Open your mouth wide in surprise

To fall suddenly to a much lower level

to drop the f-bomb
  • Offensive
9.9

Say the rude word 'fuck', often in a situation where it surprises or offends people

8.6

To prepare for a real fight or, informally, to stop fighting and start working together

9.9

Suddenly bring up a shocking topic to change the tone of a discussion

To surprise someone very much

A sudden end that causes death or total ruin

Delay acting until an important event happens

Phrasal Verbs

400 3.0

To take someone or something to a place and leave them there

214 3.0

To leave a course, competition or group before finishing

to drop by
  • Informal
206 2.5

To visit someone or a place for a short time without planning

to drop in
  • Informal
72 3.6

Visit someone without arranging it first

to drop dead
  • Informal
52 8.4

Die suddenly, often from shock or extreme tiredness

34 1.8

To fall from a higher place to a lower place

21 3.5

To become less in number or amount

17 3.6

To move to a position behind other players, for example to prepare a pass or to help defend

To send a short message to keep in touch

8 4.4

To leave normal society and live a much simpler life

To lower an anchor to hold a boat in one place

to drop off
  • Informal
5 3.0

To fall asleep for a short time, often without meaning to

To suggest something in a quiet, indirect way

3 2.9

To fall from where it is fixed or held

3 3.7

To have the mouth or jaw suddenly fall open because of surprise

2 3.3

To become less over time

To fall behind others because you move or work more slowly

to drop out
  • Specialized
2 5.9

To stop using some parts of a machine learning model at random during training so it learns better

1 7.5

To stop being seen or heard from by others

1 4.0

To move back from a place or position, often to a safer spot

Officially stop attending a class before it ends

To decide not to continue with a plan or suggestion

1 7.5

Stop taking part because it becomes too difficult

to drop a load
  • Offensive
9.9

To poop and get rid of solid waste from your body

To wash some clothes at one time

To leave someone at a swimming pool after giving them a ride

2.3

To visit someone informally to have coffee and chat

6.9

Lose a game in tennis when you are the player who starts the point

To stop talking about a subject

To stop a court case by canceling the official paper that starts it

to mic drop
  • Slang
8.1

To end a speech or comment with an impressive move to show nothing more is needed

Compounds

35 2.2

A place to leave people or things

drop-in
  • Specialized
19 3.7

Designed to fit and work without changes

12 1.7

A small sweet with medicine that helps a sore throat and stops coughing

10 3.9

A sudden decrease in amount, quality or rate

drop-down
  • Specialized
9 3.9

A list of choices that appears below when you click it

drop zone
  • Specialized
9 6.0

An area where supplies or soldiers are dropped from a plane by parachute

6 3.4

A small drop of medicine put into the eye to help it feel better

dead drop
  • Jargon
5 9.3

A secret place where people leave messages or items for others to collect without meeting

5 5.5

A very steep edge of land or rock

drop-down menu
  • Specialized
4 3.2

A list of options that appears below a menu item so you can choose one

3 1.3

A small hard candy with lemon flavor, usually yellow and shaped like a lemon

2 3.0

A large cloth that you put over floors or furniture during painting

1 1.0

A small round piece of water that hangs on leaves after rain

1 3.2

An earring that hangs below the earlobe with a small decoration

1 7.4

A car with a roof that you can fold down or remove

drop shot
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A soft shot in tennis that lands just over the net and drops quickly, hard to reach

voltage drop
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A loss of electrical pressure when current goes through a wire or part of a circuit

1 3.5

A small soft biscuit you make by dropping dough from a spoon and baking

1 4.6

A small, thick pancake made by dropping spoonfuls of batter onto a hot pan

mic drop
  • Slang
1 8.0

An impressive ending to a speech or performance that shows nothing more needs saying

drop arch
  • Specialized
8.7

An arch with a gently pointed, shallow curve used in buildings

drop bear
  • Australian
9.9

A fake dangerous animal Australians joke about that falls from trees onto people to scare tourists

drop keel
  • Specialized
8.3

A fin under a sailboat that you raise or lower to stop the boat sliding sideways

drop line
  • Jargon
7.5

A headline where each line after the first is indented more to the right

drop cloth
  • Specialized
4.8

A large curtain that people lower from above to make a background on a stage

drop curtain
  • Specialized
5.1

A large curtain hung above the stage that lowers to make background scenery

drop forge
  • Specialized
9.1

A heavy machine that shapes hot metal by dropping a large hammer

drop hammer
  • Specialized
8.2

A large machine that shapes metal by dropping a heavy weight onto it

drop zone
  • Specialized
3.8

A place on a screen where you drag files to upload or move them

drop press
  • Specialized
8.8

A machine that shapes metal by dropping a heavy weight onto it

7.8

A hinged part of a table you lift to make more space

A fee you pay for returning a rented car to a different place

A table with sides that fold down to save space and lift up to make it larger

drop-seed
  • Specialized
9.4

A grass with very small seeds that fall off easily

needle drop
  • Jargon
7.9

A moment when a song starts in a film or show that makes the scene more powerful

potential drop
  • Specialized
7.0

The difference in electric voltage between two points in a circuit

How Complete

to expel
194 5.0
to exclude
338 3.0
to drop
3.1
to leave out
312 2.3
to skip
397 1.1

Surface Forms

drop infinitive
dropped past
dropped past participle
dropping present participle
drops third person singular

Etymology

To drop something from speech or a list is like letting a part 'fall' away, as if a letter or word falls out, so to drop is to leave out or stop using something.