Array#drop
arr.drop(n) -> array Returns:
Array · Updated March 13, 2026 · Array Methods arrays elements slicing enumerable
drop returns all elements except the first n elements from an array.
Syntax
arr.drop(n)Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
n | Integer | Required | Number of elements to drop |
Examples
Basic usage
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
# Drop first 3 elements
numbers.drop(3)
# => [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
# Drop more than array length returns empty array
numbers.drop(20)
# => []
# Drop zero returns all elements
numbers.drop(0)
# => [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]With empty arrays
empty = []
empty.drop(3)
# => []Skipping headers in file processing
# Skip header line, take data lines
lines = ["header", "row1", "row2", "row3"]
data_lines = lines.drop(1)
# => ["row1", "row2", "row3"]Paginating through data
all_items = (1..100).to_a
page_size = 10
page = 2
start_index = (page - 1) * page_size
page_items = all_items.drop(start_index).take(page_size)
# => [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]