drive by

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle by

Meanings

1

Move past a place in a vehicle

Passing

Why “by”? Something moves near a point and continues past it.

“She drove by my house this morning.”
She drove past my house this morning.
“Omar drove by the stadium.”
Omar drove past the stadium.

Don't confuse with

drive bydrive through

Drive by means move past a place in a vehicle. Drive through means cross by car or other vehicle.

Test yourself

“She drove by my house this morning.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

drive through

A contrast learners often mix up

Cross by car or other vehicle

fly by

Same by pattern: passing

Travel past quickly through the air; Of time, pass extremely quickly

pass by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past a point without stopping; Of an opportunity or time, go past without being used

run by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past on foot at speed

rush by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past at speed in a hurry

sail by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past gracefully or apparently without effort

slip by

Same by pattern: passing

Pass quietly without being noticed; Of time, pass quietly without being noticed

speed by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past very quickly

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