as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
the administrator's schedule left her with no time to make more than a drive-by assessment of the situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drive-by
Davis, the only person charged in the killing, is awaiting trial and is the only living person from the car involved in the drive-by shooting.
—
Gina Barton, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Nice drive-by swipe there on a Tony Pollard carry as Jonathon Cooper was wrapping him up.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The arrest came just a day after five young suspects, most of them teenagers, were charged in a separate Labor Day drive-by shooting in the Bronx.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At least 58 people have been shot, eight fatally, across Chicago over Labor Day weekend, including a drive-by attack that left seven victims wounded, according to police.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Gina Barton, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Nice drive-by swipe there on a Tony Pollard carry as Jonathon Cooper was wrapping him up.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
The arrest came just a day after five young suspects, most of them teenagers, were charged in a separate Labor Day drive-by shooting in the Bronx.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At least 58 people have been shot, eight fatally, across Chicago over Labor Day weekend, including a drive-by attack that left seven victims wounded, according to police.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive-by
Adjective
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Carter had to make a hurried Middle East trip – including a speech to the Knesset – before the two nations formally signed a treaty some six months hence.—
Carl Leubsdorf,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
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Francis Westfield went close with a diving header from the edge of the box, and Luke Brennan wasted a glorious chance for a late leveller when he was found unmarked at the back post, but his hurried shot flew high and wide.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even a cursory review of the nation’s political violence in recent years makes clear there is plenty of blame to go around.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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The heat on Nestlé is shifting from its CEO, who was fired this week for having an undisclosed affair with a subordinate, to its board, whose initial, apparently cursory, investigation failed to uncover evidence that a later probe uncovered.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Our poor Toby, always so stressed, always so rushed.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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These alternatives can often provide a richer, less rushed experience than a whirlwind day trip to Paris.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who was at an exposure location and develops symptoms — which include fever, rash, cough, runny nose and red, itchy eyes — should contact their health care provider by phone.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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Worse, many engaged in a particularly rash form of gaming, making high-speed wagers on in-game action — a pernicious new product called microbetting.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Finally, as ever, the potential for rash, impulsive decisions with disastrous long-term consequences is never out of mind with this franchise.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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When one patient, a new mother experiencing postpartum depression, commits an impulsive, desperate act, Linda is forced to contend with her own physically and emotionally unavailable husband.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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While enjoying drinks at Lucy’s across the street from Paramount Studios, William Wyler, Humphrey Bogart, John Huston and Lauren Bacall devised a hasty plan to show up in Washington to protest the hearings.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
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That multivitamin may seem like armor against a hasty, nutrient-sparse breakfast.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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A day after the state Legislature approved a bill intended to help Milwaukee crack down on reckless drivers, local officials met at the city's towing lot to send a message.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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Trump’s reckless tariffs are needlessly spiking inflation and driving up prices on everything from groceries to housing to utilities.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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The result was a sudden and deep selloff among regional banks, drawing comparisons to the churn of the 2023 banking crisis that consumed Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drive-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive-by. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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