drive-through

American  

[drahyv-throo] / ˈdraɪvˌθru /

Informal, drive-thru

noun

• drive-throughs
  plural

1. the act of driving through a specified locality or place, especially driving into a place of business, completing a transaction from one's car, and driving out.

   a quick drive-through of Beverly Hills;

   The bank has outside tellers' windows to accept deposits by drive-through.

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adjective

1. designed to accommodate or arranged for a drive-through.

   This gas station has a drive-through car wash.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drive-throughs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of drive-through

First recorded in 1970–75; noun and adjectival use of verb phrase drive through

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drive-through drive-throughs

But, when it comes to the specific case of demanding the Lincoln Fighting Zebras to take down team photos at their beloved drive-through, the public response could be net negative for the brand, he continued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Problem was, at exactly that point, Kubica pulled into the pits to retire, so Alonso could not give the place back - and he was given a drive-through penalty.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Burger King is instructing managers to staff front counters, while Wendy’s is reviewing its AI drive-through trials to improve service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Bojangles, the Southern fried chicken drive-through, began in 1977; Zaxby’s, Wingstop, and Raising Cane’s all opened in the 1990s.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

Still, franchisees of two other McDonald’s restaurants, beyond Davis’s, have outsourced their drive-through ordering to Bigari in Colorado Springs.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

That year, founder Harry Snyder developed the two-way speakerphone system used in modern drive-throughs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

And he said the chain’s drive-throughs needed to get better at handling demand during the busiest hours — noting that by focusing too much on cost savings, the company had hurt its competitive standing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

Intouch Insight’s tests found that drive-throughs with AI were faster and clearer, though customers also rated them as less friendly than actual humans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

The brand leans heavily on drive-throughs and a high-energy, community-driven brand that resonates with younger consumers.

From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025

“Because what’s the point, when I live in an era of fast food drive-throughs and instant noodle cups?”

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day