as in hurried
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
the administrator's schedule left her with no time to make more than a drive-by assessment of the situation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drive-by
Two people were injured in a drive-by shooting at a Fort Worth bus station on Friday night, police said.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors allege Faceworld members targeted mourners in a drive-by shooting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Abraham Herrera, 21, is facing several charges stemming from his alleged role in two drive-by shootings and a standoff with SWAT in Hays County – located roughly 15 miles from Austin – last month, according to FOX 7.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
In London, thieves have graduated from the subtle art of snagging wallets from pockets in crowded tube cars, instead opting for drive-by e-bike robberies, swooping phones out of unsuspecting tourists’s hands and zooming off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors allege Faceworld members targeted mourners in a drive-by shooting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Abraham Herrera, 21, is facing several charges stemming from his alleged role in two drive-by shootings and a standoff with SWAT in Hays County – located roughly 15 miles from Austin – last month, according to FOX 7.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
In London, thieves have graduated from the subtle art of snagging wallets from pockets in crowded tube cars, instead opting for drive-by e-bike robberies, swooping phones out of unsuspecting tourists’s hands and zooming off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drive-by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive-by
Adjective
-
Pre-existing structures, supported by documentation and commercial logic, carry far more weight than hurried adjustments made after funds are already exposed.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
They were blown out by the Boston Celtics on Sunday before losing by one at home to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday when Luka Doncic passed up a three and threw the ball to LeBron James, who missed a hurried, last-second three.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Trump made only a cursory effort to notify Congress before launching the attack, briefing a small circle of congressional leaders shortly before the operation was underway and leaving most lawmakers to learn of it after the fact.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Down goes Larsson: This time a blow to the face was more than cursory for Larsson, with an elbow from Jaylen Brown in the second quarter putting Larsson down and taking him off the court for the second half.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Little emphasized the need to ease property taxes in a letter accompanying his signature but criticized Moyle’s approach as rushed and overly complex.—
Mark Dee
March 6,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
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May 21 – June 20 Steady, thoughtful sentences are your friend — skip the rushed word vomit!—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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However, before any other officers could arrive on the scene, Pete made the rash decision to cover up Kay’s involvement by shooting the serial killer’s body a couple more times.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That decline often leads to impulsive or overly cautious actions.—
Fazila Shahid,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Just be wise about your investments — avoid impulsive window shopping in favor of researching quality items that increase your quality of life.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The letter described the March 9 vote as hasty, given that the vote to reject the city’s offer was driven by three unions representing a majority of those present at the meeting.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
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Apparently, in the hasty move to LACMA, someone had forgotten to bring a dimmer.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hales, who is free on $160,000 bail, faces two counts of reckless burning causing death, two counts of reckless burning of an inhabited structure, two counts of child endangerment and one count of animal cruelty.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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He was acquitted at the first trial of murder and reckless endangerment.—
Mike Randall,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While humans can guide robots remotely, the process is mentally exhausting and often too slow to prevent sudden failures.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Now, all of a sudden, there are many acting opportunities.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drive-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive-by. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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