Phrasal verb
drop away
Definition
phrasal verb. to become smaller in number or amount, or to stop happening slowly over time.
phrasal verb. to decrease significantly in number, intensity, or volume; often used to describe a gradual reduction in participation or physical support.
Examples
“The crowd began to drop away as the rain started.”
“Support for the new law started to drop away once people realized how much it would cost.”
“The runner's competitors began to drop away one by one as she maintained her punishing pace through the final lap of the race.”
Examples
simple
“The crowd began to drop away as the rain started.”
contextual
“Support for the new law started to drop away once people realized how much it would cost.”
complex
“The runner's competitors began to drop away one by one as she maintained her punishing pace through the final lap of the race.”
Usage
usually used for groups of people, levels of support, or physical parts of a structure.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'drop off' (which often refers to falling asleep or a sharp decline in statistics) to show that 'drop away' often implies a loss of connection or presence.
Pitfall
The leaves dropped away the tree.
The leaves dropped away from the tree.
when describing physical separation, 'away' requires the preposition 'from' before the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
away
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
drop + away
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/drop-away