Verb
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leave school or an educational program prematurely
"Many students drop out because they are not prepared for our challenging program"
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withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values
"She hasn't heard from her brother in years--he dropped out after moving to California"
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give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope
admit defeat
"In the second round, the challenger gave up"
- give up - fall by the wayside - drop by the wayside - throw in - throw in the towel - chuck up the sponge