Definition

Verb: 1. To force to move back or away; to repel: To cause an advancing force, person, or thing to retreat or withdraw by opposing it. 2. To successfully defend against an attack or advance: To resist and push back an assault, challenge, or intrusion.

Usage

The verb "drive back" is used to describe the act of stopping something's forward movement and causing it to retreat. It is often used in contexts of conflict, defense, or forceful opposition. * The verb is typically followed by the thing being repelled (e.g., drive back the enemy, drive back the waves). * It can be used in both literal/physical and figurative contexts.

Examples

• The defenders managed to drive back the first wave of the invasion.
• She used a large umbrella to drive back the swarm of bees.
• The company's aggressive new strategy helped drive back its competitors in the market.
• Emergency crews built barriers to drive back the floodwaters.

Advanced Usage

• "To drive back into": This structure emphasizes forcing a retreat to a specific point or state.
  • The economic crisis drove many families back into poverty.
• The phrasal verb is often used in passive constructions.
  • The attack was successfully driven back by the allied forces.

Variants and Related Words

• Repel (verb): A close synonym meaning to force away something undesirable.
• Repulse (verb): To drive back an attack or attacker forcefully.
• Rebuff (verb): To reject or refuse in an abrupt or ungracious manner; can be used similarly in the context of rejecting an advance.
• Fend off (phrasal verb): To defend oneself against an attack or to ward something off.

Synonyms

• Repel
• Repulse
• Force back
• Push back
• Ward off
• Beat back

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Fight off: To resist someone or something and force them away, often through struggle.
  • He fought off the mugger and escaped.
• Hold off: To keep at a distance; to resist successfully.
  • They held off the enemy until reinforcements arrived.

Related Idioms

• To beat back: To force to retreat by fighting or opposing.
  • Firefighters worked through the night to beat back the blaze.

Verb

1. force or drive back
   • repel the attacker
   • fight off the onslaught
   • rebuff the attack