phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

drop out

to leave school early

What it means

To leave a school, university, or course before finishing it. It can also mean to stop taking part in an activity, competition, or social group.

Examples

  • He dropped out of university in his second year to start a business.
  • Two runners dropped out of the marathon because of the extreme heat.
  • She almost dropped out of high school but her teachers convinced her to stay.
  • Several countries dropped out of the negotiations after the proposal changed.

Where it comes from

Inseparable. The related noun 'dropout' (a person who quits school) became common in the 1960s, especially in American English during the counterculture era.

Related phrasal verbs

#drop off#give up#lay off#get away

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