drive-thru

British

noun

1. a takeaway restaurant, bank, etc designed so that customers can use it without leaving their cars
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a drive-thru restaurant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

In the Starbucks drive-thru, I open Gi and linger over a poll about problem behaviors.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

A $1 increase in gas prices can lead to around six fewer drive-thru customers a day, a recent analysis found.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The company aims to open approximately 400 net new U.S. stores annually, focusing on smaller formats and drive-thru options.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

She worked at a Jack in the Box drive-thru when she first got here.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Between drive-thru orders, he runs over to help me assemble trays of food, but still the line is consistently ten deep.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023