Thesaurus results for DROP THE BALL

drop the ball

phrase

Definition of drop the ball

as in trip

to make a mistake I'm so sorry I dropped the ball and forgot to buy the wine for the dinner party.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drop the ball Yankees star Alex Rodriguez distracted Blue Jays third baseman Howie Clark by shouting at him on a key pop-up during the ninth inning, which spawned a near-fight after the infielder dropped the ball and a run scored. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Boston went ahead 3-2 in the fifth after reliever Jakob Junis dropped the ball while on the rubber, resulting in a balk that sent a runner home from third base. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 Lewis repeatedly overthrew open deep shots in the first half; In the second, his wideouts took turns dropping the ball. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026 The Rays were an out away from a 3-1 loss when DeLuca delivered a two-out home run down the left field line that got a little help getting over the 4-foot, 11-inch fence as Samad Taylor appeared to make the catch, then dropped the ball on contact. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drop the ball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drop the ball

lay an egg

Phrase

Same with the Jets, who simply could not go down to Nashville and lay an egg the size of a bowling ball against their former coach, Robert Saleh.

— Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of lay an egg

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drops the ball

drop the ball

droshkies

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“Drop the ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drop%20the%20ball. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of drop the ball

phrase

Example Sentences

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