DRIVE OFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does drive off mean? 

• DRIVE OFF (verb)
  The verb DRIVE OFF has 1 sense:

1. force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings

  Familiarity information: DRIVE OFF used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DRIVE OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

chase away; dispel; drive away; drive off; drive out; run off; turn back

Context example:

The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers

Hypernyms (to "drive off" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

drive out; force out; rouse; rout out (force or drive out)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "drive off"):

fire (drive out or away by or as if by fire)

clear the air (dispel differences or negative emotions)

banish (drive away)

shoo; shoo away; shoo off (drive away by crying 'shoo!')

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

He cannot be the instigator of the three villains in horsemen's greatcoats, by whom she will hereafter be forced into a traveling-chaise and four, which will drive off with incredible speed.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

She saw Mr. Lawrence drive off, and then sallied out to dig her way down to the hedge, where she paused and took a survey.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The word curricle made Charles Musgrove jump up that he might compare it with his own; the servant in mourning roused Anne's curiosity, and the whole six were collected to look, by the time the owner of the curricle was to be seen issuing from the door amidst the bows and civilities of the household, and taking his seat, to drive off.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

You can drive off, cabby.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)