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

The police pursuit unfolded nearby as the couple pulled out of the drive-thru.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 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 National Restaurant Association’s 2025 survey also found that a majority of consumers would take advantage of off-premise dining options, including delivery, takeout and drive-thru ordering, more often if they could better afford it.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026

I park behind Harpy’s Burgers & Dogs, cut across the drive-thru, and ring the freight doorbell.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

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