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drop the ball
Make an error; miss an opportunity. For example, She really dropped the ball when she forgot to call back, or He dropped the ball, turning down their offer. This expression comes from sports where a player who fails to catch a ball is charged with an error. Its use for more general kinds of mistakes dates from about 1950.
Example Sentences
But that doesn’t mean Biden’s doctors dropped the ball earlier, he and others said.
"It cannot drop the ball and allow the collapse of Northern Ireland's strategic and world-class aerospace sector."
The US has "dropped the ball" on chip manufacturing over the years, allowing China and other Asian hubs to steam ahead.
In five seconds, from five vantage points, Judge drops the ball five times.
Moments later at the other end, Marshall dropped the ball as he dived for the corner - but once Wigan did score then a flurry of points followed either side of half-time.
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