drive-in
Americannoun
adjective
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of drive-in
An Americanism first recorded in 1925–30; noun, adjective use of verb phrase drive in
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our family friends took us to a drive-in movie cinema place, and they said, “You want to come see a movie?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
While Mr. Fryer was bagging produce as a teenager at Albertsons, I was slinging barbecue sandwiches over a steam table at our local drive-in to help cover my upcoming college expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
And drive-in chain Sonic has encouraged customers to “make it dirty” by ordering creamer and mix-ins with their sodas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
They invested $500,000 to open a brand new drive-in in Louisiana and it is scheduled to open this autumn.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2025
“The truck offers a subset of the day’s drive-in menu.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.