Definition

Verb: 1. To force someone or something to leave a place: To compel a person, animal, or thing to depart from a location. 2. To eliminate or dispel something abstract: To remove or get rid of a feeling, thought, or condition.

Usage Examples

Verb: - The new policy aims to drive out corruption from the institution. (The new policy aims to force corruption to leave the institution.) - They used smoke to drive out the bees from the wall. (They used smoke to force the bees to leave the wall.) - The bright sunlight helped drive out her gloomy mood. (The bright sunlight helped dispel her gloomy mood.)

Advanced Usage

• "to drive out of": To force someone or something to exit from a specific place or state.
  • The economic crisis drove many businesses out of the market. (The economic crisis forced many businesses to exit the market.)

Variants and Related Words

• Drive away (phrasal verb): Often used interchangeably with "drive out" to mean forcing something to leave.
  • Loud noises can drive away wildlife.
• Expel: To force someone to leave a place, especially a country or school, often officially.
• Oust: To force someone out of a position of power or a place.

Synonyms

• Expel
• Eject
• Oust
• Dispel (for abstract things like doubts or fears)
• Rout (to force to flee)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Drive away: To cause someone or something to leave by making a situation unpleasant or threatening.
  • The high prices are driving away customers.
• Drive off: Similar to "drive away," often used for forcing an attacker or unwanted person/thing to retreat.
  • The guard dog drove off the intruder.

Related Idioms

• Drive a wedge between: To cause disagreement or division between people. (Note: This is a related idiom using "drive," but it has a different meaning from "drive out.")
  • His lies drove a wedge between the two friends.

Verb

1. clear out the chest and lungs
   • This drug expectorates quickly
2. force or drive out
   • The police routed them out of bed at 2 A.M.
3. force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
   • Drive away potential burglars
   • drive away bad thoughts
   • dispel doubts
   • The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers