needle drop

noun

plural needle drops
1
: the dropping of needles by a conifer (such as a spruce, yew, or pine)
Fall needle drop occurs each year …—Deborah Brown
2
: a popular song used in a film or television show for dramatic effect
… heavy metal needle drops add a flourish to sword fights …—Robert Daniels
—often hyphenated when used before another noun
needle-drop scores

Examples of needle drop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Alongside these folk songs, there are needle drops from Van Morrison, Dean Martin and Mick Jagger. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 By 2022, their major label debut Error started to move the needle, and 2024’s Keep Me Fed was the proverbial needle drop. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026 Yet Schoenbrun’s needle drops also seem to have been chosen to make the audience chuckle. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Like other Murphy projects, expect modern music choices, with needle drops from Kate Bush and indie rockers Wet Leg on the soundtrack. — Dan Medeiros, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for needle drop

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of needle drop was in 1937

Rhymes for needle drop

See All Rhymes for needle drop

Browse Nearby Words

needle dam
needle drop
needle file
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Needle drop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needle%20drop. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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