tr. to disassociate oneself from someone or something instantly.
When we learned of the conviction, we dropped him like a hot potato.I dropped the idea like a hot potato.
drop (someone or something) like a hot potato
To abandon someone or something suddenly and completely, sometimes to avoid potential problems. I haven't seen Cynthia in weeks because she dropped me like a hot potato once she started hanging out with the cool kids.We dropped our renovation plans like a hot potato after finding out how much the job would cost.
drop someone or something like a hot potato
quickly abandon someone or something. informal
Drop here is used literally, but also in the figurative sense of ‘end a social acquaintance with someone’. A hot potato can be used independently as a metaphor for a controversial or awkward issue or problem that no one wants to deal with.