to drop the ball
38
6.1
- idiom
- Informal
- She dropped the ball by forgetting to submit the report on time.
- really drop the ball
- administration dropped the ball
- guys drop the ball
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeAnd I end up dropping the ball and he starts just yelling at me.
- And I end up dropping the ball and he starts just yelling at me.
- So I think it's more so Lamar dropping the ball.
- I go in, I have to tell my team Sergeant, the senior old crusty farts that I dropped the ball and I'm going to need some help.
- That was like either either intentionally racist or Oh my God someone dropped the ball so hard it went through the earth.
- But she said, Paula, the best thing you can do is go into each day knowing that you are going to drop the ball or two or three.
- I I think all of these things, it's it's about always discussing it because sometimes he may not understand how he's dropping the ball in certain areas.
- Apparently Valentine just like drops the ball and Luke gets bitten and that's why he is a shadowhunter and a werewolf.
- I feel like in the history of video, the way that Blockbuster is remembered is they sort of dropped the ball.
- Why is it that HBO drops the ball and doesn't do a show about you taking over Hollywood and finding new talent?
Examples
-
I mean, I know he dropped the ball on this one, but...
-
The UN cannot afford to drop the ball too many times on that scale.
Academic text (2002) -
Well, I guess we both dropped the ball there.
-
So in a way, you really dropped the ball on this one.
-
I think someone dropped the ball on the investigation.
-
I like Windows, but Microsoft dropped the ball on this one, in my opinion.
Blog text (4) -
Do you think that the White House dropped the ball on selling healthcare and promoting it in a way that the American people understand?
-
Instead, you lost sight of what's important, and you dropped the ball in the process.
Blog text (11) -
All right, well, you know, Google may have dropped the ball on this app and hopefully it'll get better.
-
My network provider (Fido Mobile, in Canada) has completely dropped the ball on this one.
Blog text (3)
Synonyms
850
6.3
To make a mistake that ruins what you are doing
131
3.0
To forget something by accident
60
9.9
To do something badly and ruin how it turns out
44
4.1
To make a small careless mistake
23
3.9
Choosing the wrong direction or decision causes trouble
19
6.8
To do something clumsily so it causes mistakes
18
6.4
To make a mistake that ruins something because you are careless
15
3.5
To do something clumsily and make a mistake
15
5.6
To make a silly or careless mistake
3
4.4
To make a careless mistake by acting or speaking without thinking
3
4.2
Do something that is a serious and embarrassing mistake
1
7.4
To make a small mistake when trying to do something, for example in sport or speech
1
7.6
To fail badly and embarrass yourself in front of other people
To make a serious, embarrassing mistake by being careless
To let food fall by accident or make an embarrassing mistake
To fail completely and feel embarrassed in front of others
Antonyms
How Serious
3
4.4
- Informal
755
2.8
- Informal
38
6.1
17
1.0
- Informal
44
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
drop + the + ball
The idiomatic sense 'to make a mistake or fail to do something you are responsible for' is motivated by the literal image of allowing a ball to fall (as in sports), so there is a visible metaphorical link to failure. However, the specific sense of responsibility/failure is conventionalized and not directly predictable from just 'drop' + 'ball', so a B1 learner who knows the words may still not infer the idiomatic meaning without exposure.
Etymology
The idiom drop the ball comes from team sports, where a player literally drops a ball and fails to catch it, letting the team down. That's why it now means 'to make a mistake or fail to do something you are responsible for'.