diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index 99ee3de..8440565 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -380,3 +380,27 @@ textarea:focus-visible {
     animation: none;
   }
 }
+
+/* The row-options menu pops from its anchor corner and slips away on close
+   (the anchor corner comes from an origin-* utility on the element). */
+@keyframes menuPopIn {
+  from { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.92); }
+  to   { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); }
+}
+@keyframes menuPopOut {
+  from { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); }
+  to   { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.96); }
+}
+.menu-pop {
+  animation: menuPopIn 130ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.7, 0.2, 1);
+}
+.menu-pop[data-closing] {
+  animation: menuPopOut 90ms ease-in forwards;
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .menu-pop,
+  .menu-pop[data-closing] {
+    animation: none;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/components/Sidebar.tsx b/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 9803ae6..dfdf152 100644
--- a/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { ColorSwatchRow } from "@/components/ColorSwatchRow";
 import { noteColorVar } from "@/lib/noteColors";
 import { downloadNoteBody, downloadNotePdf } from "@/lib/downloadNote";
 import { SyncStatus } from "@/lib/useNotes";
+import { useMenuPresence } from "@/lib/useMenuPresence";
 import { Note } from "@/lib/types";
 import {
   DotsIcon,
@@ -459,6 +460,7 @@ function SidebarNoteRow({
   onColor: (color: string | null) => void;
 }) {
   const [menuOpen, setMenuOpen] = useState(false);
+  const { mounted: menuMounted, closing: menuClosing } = useMenuPresence(menuOpen);
   const [flipUp, setFlipUp] = useState(false);
   const [isRenaming, setIsRenaming] = useState(false);
   const [renameValue, setRenameValue] = useState("");
@@ -575,16 +577,19 @@ function SidebarNoteRow({
           </button>
         </>
       )}
-      {menuOpen && (
+      {menuMounted && (
         <>
-          <div
-            className="fixed inset-0 z-10"
-            onClick={() => setMenuOpen(false)}
-          />
+          {menuOpen && (
+            <div
+              className="fixed inset-0 z-10"
+              onClick={() => setMenuOpen(false)}
+            />
+          )}
           <div
             role="menu"
-            className={`absolute right-1 z-20 w-44 overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface)] py-1 text-sm shadow-lg ${
-              flipUp ? "bottom-7" : "top-7"
+            data-closing={menuClosing || undefined}
+            className={`menu-pop absolute right-1 z-20 w-44 overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface)] py-1 text-sm shadow-lg ${
+              flipUp ? "bottom-7 origin-bottom-right" : "top-7 origin-top-right"
             }`}
           >
             {trashMode ? (
diff --git a/lib/useMenuPresence.ts b/lib/useMenuPresence.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcfa666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/useMenuPresence.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+
+/**
+ * Keeps a popup mounted briefly after `open` flips false so its exit
+ * animation can play. `closing` is true during that grace period — put it on
+ * a data attribute and drive the animation from CSS.
+ */
+export function useMenuPresence(open: boolean, closeMs = 90) {
+  const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(open);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (open) {
+      setMounted(true);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!mounted) return;
+    const timer = window.setTimeout(() => setMounted(false), closeMs);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [open, mounted, closeMs]);
+  return { mounted, closing: mounted && !open };
+}
diff --git a/screenshots/pr/menu-pop.webm b/screenshots/pr/menu-pop.webm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca4c7d5
Binary files /dev/null and b/screenshots/pr/menu-pop.webm differ