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
Two people were injured in a drive-by shooting at a Fort Worth bus station on Friday night, police said.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors allege Faceworld members targeted mourners in a drive-by shooting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors allege Faceworld members targeted mourners in a drive-by shooting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive-by
Adjective
-
Interviews are typically hurried affairs, a business transaction more than anything else, with a strict time limit.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
No desks stacked with laptops, no hurried haggling over prices in tight booths, no sense that collectors were racing against the clock.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet for many Republican officials, recognition of these deaths has been cursory at best.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
2 Feb. 2026
-
After the match, the two exchanged a cursory handshake with Cirstea barely glancing in Osaka’s direction.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
May 21 – June 20 Steady, thoughtful sentences are your friend — skip the rushed word vomit!—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Gemini May 21 – June 20 Steady, thoughtful sentences are your friend — skip the rushed word vomit!—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And out goes the window Mamdani’s rash promise to freeze rents in stabilized units, otherwise landlords would go bankrupt.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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There may also be a desire among decision makers to be more deliberate in defenestrations than during the MeToo era, when corporate cancellations were swift and arguably, in some cases, rash.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Margot Robbie’s Catherine is whimsical, impulsive and occasionally delusional, a woman intoxicated by her own volatility.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Intuition without reflection can become impulsive.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some players and agents are lobbying for other candidates, fearing — rightly or wrongly — that Scott Boras’ influence is pushing the union toward a too hasty promotion of Meyer, a polarizing figure both within the union and among the general player population.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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One of four astronauts launched by SpaceX last summer suffered what officials described as a serious health issue, prompting their hasty return.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The father faces 29 charges including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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The charges Colin Gray is facing 29 charges related to the shooting, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of reckless conduct and 20 counts of child cruelty.—
Jozsef Papp,
AJC.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Two years before Tony Clark’s sudden resignation made Bruce Meyer the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Meyer composed a letter to quiet the union members calling for his ouster.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The Major League Baseball Players Association has elected a new executive director following the sudden departure of Tony Clark, who had led the union for over a decade.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drive-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive-by. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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