diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.spec.tsx b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.spec.tsx
index 1fed42bf..81424585 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.spec.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ import { renderToStaticMarkup } from 'react-dom/server';
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { MethodBadge } from './MethodBadge';
 
+const badgeText = (element: React.ReactElement): string =>
+  renderToStaticMarkup(element)
+    .replace(/<style[^>]*>[\s\S]*?<\/style>/g, '')
+    .replace(/<[^>]*>/g, '')
+    .trim();
+
 describe('MethodBadge', () => {
   it('renders the method uppercased', () => {
     expect(renderToStaticMarkup(<MethodBadge method="post" />)).toContain('POST');
@@ -11,4 +17,12 @@ describe('MethodBadge', () => {
   it('defaults to GET when no method is given', () => {
     expect(renderToStaticMarkup(<MethodBadge method="" />)).toContain('GET');
   });
+
+  it('renders the abbreviated method when short is set', () => {
+    expect(badgeText(<MethodBadge method="DELETE" short />)).toBe('DEL');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps short methods intact when short is set', () => {
+    expect(badgeText(<MethodBadge method="GET" short />)).toBe('GET');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.tsx b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.tsx
index 1a2e385d..26aa260b 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.tsx
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/MethodBadge/MethodBadge.tsx
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import cx from '../../utils/cx';
 import { getMethodColorVar } from '../../theme/methodColors';
+import { getShortMethod } from '../../utils/request';
 import { StyledWrapper } from './StyledWrapper';
 
 interface MethodBadgeProps {
   method: string;
   className?: string;
+  /** Render the abbreviated method (DELETE -> DEL, OPTIONS -> OPT) for tight spaces like the query bar. */
+  short?: boolean;
 }
 
-export const MethodBadge: React.FC<MethodBadgeProps> = ({ method, className }) => (
-  <StyledWrapper
-    className={['method-badge', className].filter(Boolean).join(' ')}
-    style={{ color: getMethodColorVar(method) }}
-  >
-    {(method || 'GET').toUpperCase()}
-  </StyledWrapper>
-);
+export const MethodBadge: React.FC<MethodBadgeProps> = ({ method, className, short = false }) => {
+  const resolvedMethod = method || 'GET';
+  return (
+    <StyledWrapper
+      className={cx('method-badge', className)}
+      style={{ color: getMethodColorVar(method) }}
+    >
+      {short ? getShortMethod(resolvedMethod) : resolvedMethod.toUpperCase()}
+    </StyledWrapper>
+  );
+};
 
 export default MethodBadge;
diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/QueryBar.tsx b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/QueryBar.tsx
index 3226b248..9182baf1 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/QueryBar.tsx
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/QueryBar.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { StyledWrapper } from './StyledWrapper';
 import MenuDropdown from '../../../../../../ui/MenuDropdown';
 import { getHttpMethod, getRequestUrl, getHttpParams } from '../../../../../../utils/schemaHelpers';
 import { syncPathParams, syncQueryParams } from '../../../../../../utils/pathParams';
-import { availableMethods, getMethodColorVar } from '../../../../../../theme/methodColors';
+import { availableMethods } from '../../../../../../theme/methodColors';
 import { MethodBadge } from '../../../../../MethodBadge/MethodBadge';
 import { CopyButton } from '../../../../../../ui/CopyButton/CopyButton';
 import { SendIcon } from '../../../../../../assets/icons';
@@ -56,24 +56,23 @@ const QueryBar: React.FC<QueryBarProps> = ({ item, onSendRequest, isLoading, onI
 
   return (
     <StyledWrapper>
-      <div className="method-select-wrapper">
-        <MenuDropdown
-          selectedItemId={method}
-          placement="bottom-start"
-          testId="method-select"
-          role="listbox"
-          items={availableMethods.map((m) => ({
-            id: m,
-            label: <span style={{ color: getMethodColorVar(m) }}>{m}</span>,
-            ariaLabel: m,
-            onClick: () => handleMethodChange(m)
-          }))}
-        >
-          <button type="button" className="method-select" aria-label="HTTP method">
-            <MethodBadge method={method} />
-          </button>
-        </MenuDropdown>
-      </div>
+      <MenuDropdown
+        selectedItemId={method}
+        placement="bottom-start"
+        testId="method-select"
+        role="listbox"
+        size="sm"
+        items={availableMethods.map((m) => ({
+          id: m,
+          label: <MethodBadge method={m} />,
+          ariaLabel: m,
+          onClick: () => handleMethodChange(m)
+        }))}
+      >
+        <button type="button" className="method-select" aria-label="HTTP method">
+          <MethodBadge method={method} short />
+        </button>
+      </MenuDropdown>
 
       <input
         type="text"
diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/StyledWrapper.ts b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/StyledWrapper.ts
index e3fa8bc5..4dac8584 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/StyledWrapper.ts
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/components/Playground/Content/Views/PlaygroundView/QueryBar/StyledWrapper.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,6 @@ export const StyledWrapper = styled.div`
     }
   }
 
-  .method-select-wrapper {
-    flex-shrink: 0;
-    display: flex;
-    align-items: center;
-  }
-
   .method-select {
     appearance: none;
     display: inline-flex;
@@ -44,6 +38,8 @@ export const StyledWrapper = styled.div`
     border: none;
     outline: none;
     cursor: pointer;
+    padding-left: 0.5rem;
+    margin-left: -0.5rem;
   }
 
   .method-select .method-badge {
diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/MenuDropdown.tsx b/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/MenuDropdown.tsx
index c7b6fdf4..895c7476 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/MenuDropdown.tsx
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/MenuDropdown.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import type {
   MenuGroupStyle,
   MenuItemExtraProps
 } from './types';
+import cx from '../../utils/cx';
 
 const NAVIGATION_KEYS = ['ArrowDown', 'ArrowUp', 'Home', 'End', 'Escape'];
 const ACTION_KEYS = ['Enter', ' '];
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ export interface MenuDropdownProps extends Omit<
   placement?: Placement;
   /** Optional className for the dropdown surface. */
   className?: string;
+  /** Surface size variant: `'lg'` (default) or `'sm'` (compact, e.g. the method picker). */
+  size?: 'sm' | 'lg';
   /** ID of the selected/active item to focus on open and mark active. */
   selectedItemId?: MenuItemId | null;
   /** ARIA role family: 'menu' (default) for action menus; 'listbox' for single-select value pickers. */
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ const MenuDropdown = forwardRef<MenuDropdownHandle, MenuDropdownProps>(
       children,
       placement = 'bottom-end',
       className,
+      size = 'lg',
       selectedItemId,
       role = 'menu',
       opened,
@@ -556,7 +560,7 @@ const MenuDropdown = forwardRef<MenuDropdownHandle, MenuDropdownProps>(
         onCreate={onDropdownCreate}
         icon={triggerElement}
         placement={placement}
-        className={className}
+        className={cx(className,  { 'menu-dropdown-sm': size === 'sm' })}
         visible={isOpen}
         onClickOutside={handleClickOutside}
         {...dropdownProps}
diff --git a/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/StyledWrapper.ts b/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/StyledWrapper.ts
index 91bf9490..436f65e7 100644
--- a/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/StyledWrapper.ts
+++ b/packages/oc-docs/src/ui/MenuDropdown/StyledWrapper.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,21 @@ export const StyledWrapper = styled.div`
   max-width: unset !important;
   padding: 0.25rem;
 
+  &.menu-dropdown-sm {
+    min-width: 6.875rem;
+    max-width: 9.375rem !important;
+    padding: 0.125rem;
+    background-color: var(--oc-background-base);
+    border-color: var(--border-color);
+    margin-top: 2px;
+
+    .dropdown-item {
+      padding: 0.25rem 0.6rem 0.25rem 0.25rem;
+      margin: 1px 0;
+      line-height: 1;
+    }
+  }
+
   .menu-dropdown-list {
     outline: none;
     &:focus {