Phrasal verb
drive home
Definition
phrasal verb. to make someone fully understand or accept the importance of a point or idea. You use this when you want to emphasize something very clearly.
phrasal verb. to cause someone to fully grasp or appreciate the significance of a point or argument through repeated or forceful explanation.
Examples
“He tried to drive home the importance of safety.”
“The manager had to drive home the message that the project deadline was non-negotiable.”
“The documentary uses harrowing footage to drive home the devastating impact of climate change on coastal communities.”
Examples
simple
“He tried to drive home the importance of safety.”
contextual
“The manager had to drive home the message that the project deadline was non-negotiable.”
complex
“The documentary uses harrowing footage to drive home the devastating impact of climate change on coastal communities.”
Usage
The phrasal verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is often used with the preposition 'to' when introducing the person being convinced.
Pitfall
drive home the point to him
drive the point home to him
The object can be placed between the verb and the particle 'home' for emphasis.
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/drive-home