DROPPED THE BALL Synonyms: 37 Similar Words

dropped the ball

phrase

past tense of drop the ball

as in fumbled

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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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of dropped the ball Europe has dropped the ball on the prototype for its first reusable spacecraft. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Then, when Manning got the ball back with two minutes left, Florida grabbed its fifth sack courtesy of linebacker Myles Graham, and Manning dropped the ball in the process. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Steve Sarkisian dropped the ball, giving the native Floridian only two touches in the second half of the OU loss after running for 41 yards on just six carries in the first half. — Sports Columnist, Austin American Statesman, 17 Oct. 2026 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 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 New York running back Tyrone Tracy took a handoff and dropped the ball untouched. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 With men on first and third and nobody out that inning, second baseman Jackson Holliday fielded a tough grounder and threw to second, but shortstop Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball for an error and everyone was safe. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

dropped out of sight

dropped the ball

dropping

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“Dropped the ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dropped%20the%20ball. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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