Phrasal verb
drive out
Definition
phrasal verb. to force someone or something to leave a place. You use this when a person, group, or even a feeling is pushed away so they cannot stay.
phrasal verb. To force a person, animal, or group to depart from a location or position of power. Transitive; often implies the use of pressure, competition, or physical force.
Examples
“The loud noise will drive out the birds from the garden.”
“New businesses in the neighborhood are starting to drive out the smaller, older shops by offering lower prices.”
“The revolutionary forces successfully managed to drive out the occupying army after months of intense urban warfare.”
Examples
simple
“The loud noise will drive out the birds from the garden.”
contextual
“New businesses in the neighborhood are starting to drive out the smaller, older shops by offering lower prices.”
complex
“The revolutionary forces successfully managed to drive out the occupying army after months of intense urban warfare.”
Usage
The object can be placed between 'drive' and 'out', especially when it is a short pronoun.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'expel' or 'evict'; 'drive out' is often used in economic contexts to describe competition forcing others to leave the market.
Pitfall
The company drove out them.
The company drove them out.
If the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
drive + (object) + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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