Phrasal verb
drop through
Definition
phrasal verb. to fall through a hole or an opening from a higher place to a lower one.
phrasal verb. to fall or pass through an aperture or opening, typically due to gravity; can also be used figuratively in digital contexts to describe data or messages moving through a system.
Examples
“The coin dropped through the slot in the machine.”
“A small letter dropped through the mail slot and landed softly on the hallway carpet.”
“The rescue team watched helplessly as the heavy equipment dropped through the weakened ice into the freezing water below.”
Examples
simple
“The coin dropped through the slot in the machine.”
contextual
“A small letter dropped through the mail slot and landed softly on the hallway carpet.”
complex
“The rescue team watched helplessly as the heavy equipment dropped through the weakened ice into the freezing water below.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun phrase describing the opening or the space being passed through.
Teaching tip
distinguish from 'fall through' (which often means a plan failed); 'drop through' is more literal and physical, though it can appear in technical contexts like 'drop through to the next layer'.
Pitfall
The keys dropped through of the grate.
The keys dropped through the grate.
'through' is a preposition here and does not require 'of' before the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
through
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
drop + through + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/drop-through