drive-by

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of drive-bynext
1
: carried out from a moving vehicle
a drive-by shooting
2
: done or made in a quick or cursory manner

drive-by

2 of 2

noun

plural drive-bys
: a drive-by shooting

Examples of drive-by in a Sentence

Adjective the administrator's schedule left her with no time to make more than a drive-by assessment of the situation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
One woman was killed and a second was injured in a drive-by shooting Friday night at a funeral home, according to East Point police. Alexis Stevens, AJC.com, 10 Jan. 2026 Mahmoud Haqiqat, commander of the police station in Iranshahr, Iran, was assassinated in a drive-by shooting, who recorded the event and posted it online. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
Two brothers were sentenced to decades in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for a drive-by shooting at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium that killed a 19-year-old, according to the district attorney’s office. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026 Two vehicles seen on a surveillance camera in April 2024 before a fatal drive-by shooting in Lakewood. Logan Smith, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drive-by

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drive-by was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Drive-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drive-by. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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