drive in

USAGE SUMMARY

"drive in" is not a grammatically complete sentence.
It can, however, be used as a phrase in written English. For example: - I pulled into the drive-in and ordered a burger. - He drove in his new car and parked it in the driveway. - The rain was starting to pour, so we decided to drive in the garage. In these examples, "drive in" is used as a verb phrase to describe the action of entering or parking a vehicle.

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

"You just drive in".

The New York Times

/ Drive in this direction.

The New Yorker

A premium drive, in fact?

Independent

Fewer people drive in London.

The Economist

Then the fighters could drive in.

The New York Times

He's got this drive in him".

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

19 human-written examples

All of the drive-in restaurants.

The New Yorker

This is not your usual drive-in.

The New York Times - Food

Drive-in movie screens.

The New York Times - Arts

At the Drive-In.

The New York Times

"There's a drive-in!

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "drive in", ensure the context is clear; specify the destination or intended action to avoid ambiguity. For example, "drive in the snow" or "drive in the winning run".

Common error

Avoid using "drive in" as a standalone sentence. It needs a subject and often an object or further context to be grammatically complete and meaningful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "drive in" primarily functions as a verb phrase. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incomplete as a standalone sentence but serves as a verb phrase describing the action of entering a place by car or, in baseball, scoring a run. Many examples provided by Ludwig illustrate its use within larger sentence structures.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Wiki

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "drive in" functions primarily as a verb phrase, commonly used to describe the action of entering a place by vehicle or, in baseball, scoring a run. Ludwig AI notes its grammatical incompleteness as a standalone sentence, emphasizing its role within larger sentence structures. Its register is generally neutral, though context-dependent, appearing frequently in news and general web content. With a high expert rating and source quality score, "drive in" is a versatile and widely understood phrase. Related options include phrases like "pull into" or "motor in", providing writers with various ways to express similar ideas.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

drive into

Highlights the destination or object being driven towards.

pull into

Focuses specifically on the action of moving a vehicle into a designated area.

enter by car

Emphasizes the method of entry using a car.

motor in

Offers a slightly more informal and succinct way to describe driving in.

arrive by vehicle

A more formal way of saying someone came in a car.

knock in

Another baseball term to describe the same action of driving a run in

bring home

In a baseball context, focuses on the result of scoring a run.

send across the plate

A more descriptive way to describe a player scoring.

push across

Focuses on scoring a run in the context of baseball

safely reach

Emphasizes on getting to the base with no harm. Also, a baseball context

FAQs

How to use "drive in" in a sentence?

"Drive in" is usually part of a larger sentence, describing the action of entering a place by car or scoring a run in baseball. Examples: "They will "drive in from other neighborhoods"" or "We expect him to "drive in runs"".

What does "drive in" mean in baseball?

In baseball, "drive in" means to hit the ball or reach base in a way that results in a run being scored. It's similar to saying the player "brought home" a run.

Is "drive in" formal or informal?

"Drive in" is generally considered a neutral term suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its formality depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure.

What are some alternatives to "drive in" when referring to entering a place by car?

Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, you could use phrases like "pull into", "enter by car", or "motor in".