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
Fort Worth police have arrested a third suspect in the April 2 drive-by killing of a 15-year-old boy, according to online arrest records. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026 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
Noun
Nearly one week after 15-year-old Prince Washington was killed in a drive-by shooting at his Fort Worth home, friends and family gathered at Westcreek Park to release balloons in his memory. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026 But Willy Nast was never able to put the story of that drive-by shooting far from his mind. Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.

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