# drop by

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drop-by
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to visit someone or a place for a short time without a formal plan.

For teachers: to pay a brief, often spontaneous or informal visit to a person or location.

## Examples

- Please drop by my office later today.
- Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to drop by and see how you were doing.
- The local representative promised to drop by the community center to address the residents' concerns regarding the new development project.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I will drop by to you tomorrow." but "I will drop by tomorrow." — the verb does not take 'to' before the person; use 'drop by' alone or 'drop by your house'.

## Usage notes

- often used with 'at' for places or 'on' for people, though it can stand alone.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'visit' to show the difference in formality and duration; 'drop by' implies a casual, short stop.

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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.