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drive off

A2 neutral separable both
In simple words

Leave in a car, or make someone go away by scaring or forcing them.

Literal meaning: To drive a vehicle away from a place.

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To leave a place by driving a vehicle.

"The suspect drove off before the police could reach the scene."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 neutral

To force a person, animal, or group to leave by threatening or attacking them.

"The farmer used noise and bright lights to drive off the foxes raiding the henhouse."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

In golf, to hit a ball from the tee at the start of a hole.

"He drove off magnificently and the ball landed within metres of the green."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Very similar to 'drive away'. Also used in golf to mean hitting the ball from the tee at the start of a hole. In the sense of repelling, it is slightly more forceful in connotation than 'drive away'.

Commonly used with

attacker intruder car tee predator competition

Forms

Base
drive off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
drives off
he/she/it
Past simple
drove off
yesterday
Past participle
driven off
have + pp
-ing form
driving off
continuous

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Synonyms

leave depart repel chase off drive away scare off

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