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
Abraham Herrera, 21, is facing several charges stemming from his alleged role in two drive-by shootings and a standoff with SWAT in Hays County – located roughly 15 miles from Austin – last month, according to FOX 7.
—
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
In London, thieves have graduated from the subtle art of snagging wallets from pockets in crowded tube cars, instead opting for drive-by e-bike robberies, swooping phones out of unsuspecting tourists’s hands and zooming off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
Because the car works completely on a drive-by-wire and brake-by-wire system, Tensor says the steering wheel can even be used to play those games.
—New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025
The victim of a drive-by shooting Tuesday near Stockton was a woman who gained notoriety as the teen driver in a livestreamed crash that killed her sister.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
In London, thieves have graduated from the subtle art of snagging wallets from pockets in crowded tube cars, instead opting for drive-by e-bike robberies, swooping phones out of unsuspecting tourists’s hands and zooming off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
Because the car works completely on a drive-by-wire and brake-by-wire system, Tensor says the steering wheel can even be used to play those games.
—New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025
The victim of a drive-by shooting Tuesday near Stockton was a woman who gained notoriety as the teen driver in a livestreamed crash that killed her sister.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive-by
Adjective
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By doing so, the Panthers tried a hurried, fire-drill field goal, which Ryan Fitzgerald then proceeded to miss, which meant the halftime score was 19-3, Buffalo, and soon to get much worse.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
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There were multiple occasions in which A&M’s defensive front hit or hurried quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with just four rushers.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
26 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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Retaliating by no longer subsidizing Amy’s 4-H activities and withholding birthday and Christmas gifts may have been rash and could drive a lasting wedge that won’t be easily repaired.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
27 Oct. 2025
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There are bright blue and green swim shorts with hexagonal prints, silk resort shirts, a jacquard shorts and shirt set, rash guards and matching beach bags and towels.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Instead of impulsive moves, energy goes toward goals that require patience and endurance.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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That fear can contribute to impulsive decisions, overtrading, and emotional fatigue - outcomes sometimes interpreted as personal failure rather than a response to the way risk is structured.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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According to reporting from El Dorado Hills community publication Village Life in 2023, Loewen’s hasty exit came months after El Dorado Hills residents voiced concerns over possible ethics and contract violations.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Chief among the clues police have recovered at the scene of Sunday's sensational crime at one of the world's most famous museums are traces of DNA found on items the thieves left behind in their hasty motorbike getaway.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His reckless decision to escalate the aggression and number of immigration agents is a causal factor, regardless of the outcome of an investigation into this tragic death.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cowards habitually flee what is painful, while someone who acts bravely because of excessive confidence is simply reckless.—
Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Excluding disasters, sudden surges of this magnitude in requests for food or any other need are rare at 211s, and can signal both public worry and need, as happened in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Matthew W. Kreuter,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drive-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive-by. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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