Definition

Verb (idiomatic): To make a serious mistake; to fail to do something correctly or to fulfill a responsibility, especially at a critical moment.

Usage

This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone fails to perform a task properly, often resulting in negative consequences. It implies a lapse in judgment, attention, or execution.

Examples

• The manager dropped the ball by forgetting to send the crucial report before the deadline.
• Our defense dropped the ball in the final minutes of the game, allowing the other team to score.
• I really dropped the ball on organizing the meeting; I didn't book a room or send out an agenda.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a sense of letting others down or failing to meet expectations within a team or system.
• It can be used in various tenses: "drop the ball" (present/future), "dropped the ball" (past), "dropping the ball" (continuous).

Variants and Related Words

• Ball-dropping (noun, informal): The act of making such a mistake.
  • That missed email was a serious ball-dropping on our part.

Synonyms

• Blunder
• Err
• Slip up
• Mess up
• Fumble

Related Idioms

• Let the ball drop: A less common variant with the same meaning.
  • We can't afford to let the ball drop on this client account.
• Fumble the ball: Literally from sports (like American football), used figuratively with a very similar meaning to "drop the ball."
  • He fumbled the ball during the presentation by getting the key figures wrong.

Verb

1. commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
   • I blundered during the job interview