Make an error; miss an opportunity. For example, She really dropped the ball when she forgot to call back, or He dropped the ball, turning down their offer. This expression comes from sports where a player who fails to catch a ball is charged with an error. Its use for more general kinds of mistakes dates from about 1950.
drop the ball
| Idioms: drop the ball |
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 | fumble |
| ball (Idiom) |
| drop (Idiom) |
Help us answer these
 | How does gravity work when dropping a ball? |
| When are your balls supposed to drop? |
| Why do they drop a ball on New Years? |
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Copyrights:
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 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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- drop (Idiom)
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