Drop clearly seen climbing briefly across peaks of other states (8)
I believe the answer is:
nosedive
'drop' is the definition.
(I have seen 'sudden drop' mean 'nosedive' so perhaps 'drop' could also mean 'nosedive')
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for nosedive that I've seen before include "Dramatic fall" , "headlong plunge" , "steep fall" , "plummet" , "sudden drop" .)