Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

have the drop on

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.98 in modern English

Syllables: have the -drop on
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To possess an advantage over another person, by acting before that person.

Informal; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"They had the drop on us and I had the feeling normally associated with nakedness. But they did not seem keen to take the plunge."
"It was evident that Buck, after coming so near without discovering any remaining signs of life in his intended victim, was totally unprepared for the swift action which had placed him at a disadvantage. Craig unquestionably had the drop on him."
"I had the drop on him, I knew it would be easy to pop him . . . but System Pigs were always tougher to kill than you thought. They always turned out to be luckier than they had right to be."

Usage

Inflected Forms

has the drop on (present, singular) having the drop on (participle, present) had the drop on (participle, past) had the drop on (past)

Phrases

get the drop on

Frequently Paired Words

get the drop on

Questions

What does have the drop on mean?: To possess an advantage over another person, by acting before that person.

How to pronounce have the drop on

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