Skip to main content
to drive

to drive

39 3.5
To hit a ball hard to make it go far
  • verb
  • /draɪv/
: golpear
  • Take a little bit later and drive it into right field.

I'm going to be able to pull up going both ways, drive the ball both ways.

Examples

  • Frank takes a looping swing, driving the ball to the gap in right center.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Tomlinson swings and drives one deep to right field!

  • I'm going to be able to pull up going both ways, drive the ball both ways.

  • Drive it in deep and hope it sticks.

  • But we did score runs, even driving two long balls in the wheat, one with two aboard.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He throws the club head at the ball, and when he connects, he drives it, it pops off the bat.

  • He drives to the hoop and it's up, slam dunk!

  • He swings the bat with all his strength to drive the ball deep into the outfield.

  • She expertly drives the tennis ball across the net, landing it perfectly in the corner.

  • The player managed to drive the soccer ball into the goal from a long distance.

Synonyms

to hit
vsto drive
∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

is the specific action of forcefully contacting a ball in sport
to strike
vsto drive
508 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is a forceful ball contact specifically used in sports contexts
to shoot
vsto drive
209 1.3

To try to score by sending a ball toward the goal

is about making forceful contact with a ball rather than general aiming
to smash
vsto drive
170 3.3

To hit something with great force, often in sport

is similarly forceful but often used as a controlled play
to blast
vsto drive
139 3.5

To hit or shoot something with great force

is also powerful but more specifically a ball contact in sport
to bat
vsto drive
62 1.3

To hit or try to hit a ball in a game

is a stronger, more forceful form of that usual attempt
to hit the ball
vsto drive
42 1.0

To strike a ball with a bat or racket in a sport

focuses more on forceful impact rather than the usual hitting action
to kill
vsto drive
  • Jargon
9 4.7

Hit the ball or shuttlecock hard to try to win a point

is forceful too but not always aimed solely at winning instantly
to stroke
vsto drive
1 3.5

To hit a ball with a smooth, controlled movement in sports

is a harder, more forceful contact rather than a smooth touch
to spank the ball
vsto drive
  • Jargon
1 6.1

To hit a ball hard so it goes far

is a forceful ball contact often done with more control

Antonyms

549 1.0

To fail to reach or hit something you aim for

Idioms

46 3.2

Make someone very annoyed or upset

To cause people to argue or become divided on purpose

Leave a place happily at the end of a story or event

1 6.0

To make a car go very fast and in a dangerous way

To end something completely so it cannot continue

To find big holes in a law or plan and use them

9.9

To drive in a very dangerous way that puts other people at risk

Phrasal Verbs

220 3.9

Make someone very annoyed or upset

214 2.3

To drive a car without a fixed destination to relax

144 3.1

To go to a place in a vehicle and stop near it

124 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

75 3.4

To force a person, animal, or feeling to go away

67 2.5

To operate a large truck as a job

54 2.5

To arrive at a place by car

52 3.9

To make prices rise to a higher level, often quickly

35 4.0

Force someone or something to leave using threats

25 4.0

To make a point very clear by saying it strongly

21 4.1

Force someone or something to move away from danger

17 3.1

To take a car for a short ride to check how it feels and works

to drive in
  • Jargon
13 4.9

In baseball, to hit the ball so a player scores

To take someone in a vehicle to show them interesting places

to drive at
  • Informal
10 6.5

Try to suggest something without saying it clearly when speaking or writing

5 4.0

To push a nail, screw, or bolt into a surface using a tool

To reduce expenses in a company or organization

To try a product or service for a short time to see if you like it

to let drive
  • Archaic
1 8.2

To shoot something from a gun or bow

To help a project make progress by leading and taking action

To remove wasted effort and slow processes from a company or system

Compounds

hard drive
  • Specialized
146 2.8

A device inside a computer that stores files and lets you open them

48 2.5

A place, like a restaurant or bank, where you buy things without leaving your car

47 3.7

Place where people stay in their cars to eat or watch a movie

44 2.5

A car trip that takes a long time

33 2.7

A short ride in a car to see how it feels and works

sex drive
  • NSFW
27 4.2

A natural desire to have sex

four-wheel drive
  • Specialized
21 3.4

A system that powers all four wheels for better grip on rough or slippery ground

12 4.2

A hard hit in baseball that flies straight and low

11 5.9

A gun attack from a moving car that hits people outside

disk drive
  • Specialized
9 3.5

A device in a computer that holds and spins a disk to read or write data

A device you connect to a computer by cable to save files

6 6.3

A trip moving a large group of cows, often on horseback, over long distances

4 2.7

A part of a computer or music player that reads CDs

CD-ROM drive
  • Archaic
2 3.7

A device in or connected to a computer that reads data from CDs

internal drive
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A device inside a computer that stores files, like a hard drive or solid-state drive

tape drive
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A machine that reads and writes data on magnetic tape to save copies of files

A planned event to collect money for a cause

drive line
  • Specialized
1 7.1

Parts that send power from the engine to the wheels that move the car

1 2.8

A regular car trip to and from work each day

drive-by media
  • Literature
1 9.1

News outlets that give quick, shallow reports and often miss important facts

1 7.4

A hard, straight hit into the outfield that lets the batter reach second base

automatic drive
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A car system that changes gears by itself based on speed

1 6.6

A base hit made by hitting the ball hard so the batter reaches first base

whist drive
  • Archaic
1 9.8

A social event where people play whist in rounds, often to raise money

drive-by killing
  • Offensive
1 8.5

An act of shooting someone to death from a moving car

fluid drive
  • Archaic
1 7.8

A device that uses fluid to connect an engine to the drive shaft smoothly

1 7.5

A hard disk with a sealed case used in older computers to store data

A hard straight shot hit with the racket across the body in tennis

automatic drive
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A mode in which a car moves, steers, and brakes using sensors and software

1 4.6

A car you rent and drive yourself

A hard straight shot hit from the side you hold the racket, used in tennis or badminton

1 5.3

A hard low hit in baseball that lets the batter reach third base

1 8.9

A car you rent and drive yourself for a short time

1 7.9

A quick, friendly praise given to someone in passing

drive line system
  • Specialized
6.0

A vehicle system that sends engine power to the driving wheels

drive-by event
  • Neologism
4.6

A gathering where people stay in their cars and take part briefly

fusee drive
  • Archaic
9.9

A cone-shaped part in old clocks that keeps spring power steady as it unwinds

How Forceful

to smash
170 3.3
to drive
39 3.5
to strike
508 2.4
hit
607 1.0
tap
57 1.0

Surface Forms

drive infinitive
driving present participle
drives third person singular
drove past
driven past participle

Etymology

Drive comes from Old English drīfan 'to push or strike', so in sport to drive the ball is to hit it hard and send it forward.