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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Drop the ball

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

To make a mistake by failing to handle a responsibility or necessary action.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. I dropped the ball and forgot to send the room booking confirmation.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

To make a mistake by failing to handle a responsibility or necessary action.
Show the answer

Drop the ball — To make a mistake by failing to handle a responsibility or necessary action.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Drop the ball” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

To make a mistake by failing to handle a responsibility or necessary action.

Compare: I dropped the ball and forgot to send the room booking confirmation.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

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GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this informal expression when acknowledging or describing a lapse in a task. Saying I dropped the ball can take responsibility, especially if you also explain how you will fix the problem.

More examples in context

  • We cannot drop the ball on checking the final dates.
  • The team dropped the ball when nobody followed up on the missing files.

Usage note

The past form is dropped the ball, with double p in dropped. On can introduce the area of responsibility. The phrase describes a lapse; it does not explain the cause or excuse it.

A short conversation

A: Why did the speaker not receive the timetable?
B: I dropped the ball and missed the final email.
A: Please send it now and confirm that it arrives.

One more practice question

Which action illustrates dropping the ball?

A. Forgetting an agreed task that needed follow-up.
B. Completing every agreed task correctly and on time.

Check your answer

A. The person fails to handle a responsibility. The second option describes successful follow-through.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

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