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to drive

to drive

1 8.2
To dig a tunnel through rock or earth
  • verb
  • /draɪv/
  • Specialized
: excavar (un túnel)
  • The construction team will drive a deep shaft to create a new ventilation system for the subway.

Examples

  • The well point is driven into the ground by pounding or is washed in using high water pressure.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Therefore, it was determined that all three groups would receive a consistent counselor-driven treatment intervention.

    Academic text (2006)
  • I explained that both tractors were to drive across the mangrove swamp to the outer beach.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The workers had to drive a tunnel through the dense rock to connect the two mines.

  • In order to access the underground chamber, they planned to drive a passage into the hillside.

Synonyms

to dig
vsto drive
652 1.0

To move earth with a tool to make a hole

means making horizontal passageways through solid ground rather than general holes
to burrow
vsto drive
39 4.0

To move through something by digging a hole or tunnel

is about human-made long horizontal passages through rock rather than small animal-made underground ways
to tunnel
vsto drive
27 3.5

To dig a passage under something

is specially about horizontal making of such passages through hard ground
to excavate
vsto drive
12 6.0

To make a hole by removing earth or rock

focuses on making long horizontal passages through rock rather than any cavity

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To make a place full by putting people or things into it

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 Extensive

to drive
  • Specialized
1 8.2
to tunnel
27 3.5
to dig
652 1.0
to bore
8 4.9

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 force', so to drive a tunnel is to force and make a long passage through earth or rock.