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DROP

Category: MS Excel compatibility function · Native since: Excel 2024

Removes rows/columns from the start or end of an array.

Syntax

=DROP(array, rows, [cols])

Arguments

Argument Required Description
array Required the array
rows Required rows to drop (neg = from end)
cols Optional columns to drop (optional)

Returns

Returns the array with the given number of rows/columns removed; on dynamic-array hosts the result spills. Returns #VALUE! if the array is empty or nothing remains after dropping.

Examples

Formula Result Description
=DROP({1,2,3;4,5,6;7,8,9},1) {4,5,6;7,8,9} Drop the first row
=DROP({1,2,3;4,5,6;7,8,9},1,-1) {4,5;7,8} Drop first row, last column
=DROP({1,2},5) #VALUE! Error when everything is dropped

Notes

  • Negative rows/cols drop from the end.
  • An empty result returns #VALUE! instead of the native #CALC!.
  • Arrays in rows·columns return an array of that argument's shape where each element is the first value of that element's result (native-compatible demotion lifting).
  • Related function: TAKE
  • Supported: Excel 2010+. Registered as DROP (drop-in) on hosts without the native function, and as EG.DROP on modern Excel that has it.