# drop the ball

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/drop-the-ball
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.