Dropdown vs. Select vs. Combobox
A dropdown menu runs actions (Rename, Delete…) — it never holds a chosen value. A select (pop-up button on the Mac) picks one value from a fixed list and keeps showing it afterwards. A combobox is a select you can type in: the list filters as you type.
How to tell them apart
- Clicking an item DOES something → dropdown menu. Clicking an item FILLS the control → select.
- You can place a text caret in it and type → combobox.
- Closed, it shows the current value → select or combobox; a menu button just shows its fixed label.
The full entries — names, anatomy, paste-ready prompts
Popover
Filter projects
Dropdown
Tooltip
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Popover vs. Dropdown Menu vs. Tooltipweb
popover
Three anchored overlays with different triggers, content, and dismissal rules
Combobox (Autocomplete / Typeahead)web
role="combobox"
A text input paired with a filtered list of selectable suggestions
pull-down button
combo box
Pop-Up Button vs. Pull-Down Button vs. Combo Boxmacos
NSPopUpButton
Three similar-looking macOS controls for choosing a value or invoking a menu action
Still a different pair on your mind? See every commonly confused pair