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Meaning & use

drop anchor

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌdrɒp ˈæŋkə/
US/ˌdrɑːp ˈæŋkər/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    To lower a ship's anchor into the water so that the vessel stays in one place.

    Grammar: No object after anchor; the verb drop changes form: dropped anchor, dropping anchor.

    Patterns

    • drop anchor in somewhere
    • drop anchor off something

    The captain decided to drop anchor in the sheltered bay.

    We dropped anchor a mile from the shore as the sun set.

    They dropped anchor off the island to wait for the storm to pass.

  2. phraseidiomfigurative

    To stop traveling and settle or stay somewhere for a while.

    Grammar: Used figuratively for people, not only boats: after years abroad, he decided to drop anchor.

    Patterns

    • drop anchor in somewhere

    After years of wandering, she dropped anchor in a small coastal town.

    We plan to drop anchor in Lisbon for the winter.

    He had moved so often that he never wanted to drop anchor anywhere.

Word forms

third person singulardrops anchor
past tensedropped anchor
past participledropped anchor
-ing formdropping anchor

Common combinations

drop anchor in a bay
The ferry dropped anchor in a quiet bay.
drop anchor for the night
We dropped anchor for the night near the harbor.
drop anchor off the coast
The yacht dropped anchor off the coast of Greece.
finally drop anchor
After a long career at sea, he finally dropped anchor ashore.
drop anchor and wait
The crew dropped anchor and waited for the fog to lift.

Synonyms and how they differ

anchor
As a verb, anchor is the plain term for securing a boat, while drop anchor focuses on the moment of lowering the anchor.
moor
Moor means to tie a boat to a dock or buoy, whereas drop anchor means letting the anchor sink to the seabed.
settle
Settle is the general word for making a home somewhere and lacks the nautical image of drop anchor.

Opposites

weigh anchorset sail

Word family

anchor noun
a heavy device that holds a ship in place
anchorage noun
a place where ships can anchor safely
anchor verb
to fix a boat or object firmly in place
anchored adjective
held firmly in place

Commonly confused: drop anchor or weigh anchor?

drop anchor vs weigh anchor

Weigh anchor is the opposite: to raise the anchor and set off.

Practice

After weeks of sailing, the crew decided to ____ in the calm harbor for the night.

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