drop the ball
To fail in one's responsibilities or duties, or to make a mistake, especially at a critical point or when the result is very negative.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I dropped the ball and forgot to send the email.”
“He drops the ball every time he forgets to water my plants.”
“The project failed because the manager dropped the ball during the final stage of the launch.”
“You really dropped the ball by not booking the hotel rooms before the holiday weekend started.”
“The store dropped the ball when they promised a refund but never actually sent the money back to my account.”
“Although the team had prepared for months, they ultimately dropped the ball when they failed to secure the necessary permits before the deadline.”
The idiom is an allusion to the rules of field sports such as baseball, American football, or cricket, in which the literal act of dropping the ball constitutes a mistake. The term entered figurative use in the mid-20th century, transferring the physical error of a fumbled catch to the broader context of a social or professional lapse.
- 01
a short drop and a sudden stop
A fall to one's death by hanging.
- 02
ball hog
In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.
- 03
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 04
ball of malt
A glass of whiskey.
- 05
balls of steel
Courage, audacity.
- 06
balls to the wall
With maximum effort or commitment.
- 07
bust one's balls
To work very hard; to put in a lot of effort.
- 08
carry the ball
To lead in terms of responsibility, initiative, or progress.
Last updated August 10, 2026