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Glite Dictionary
to drive off into the sunset

to drive off into the sunset

1 6.5
Leave a place happily at the end of a story or event
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : irse hacia el atardecer
  • Well, in that case, I suppose there's no truth whatsoever in your little friend Josephina sniffing around Damrish, who, might I add, are literally about to drive off into the sunset together.

Examples

  • And I remember driving off into the sunset in Mankato, MN, on my way to the hospital to get my shoulder checked again, right?

  • The seller gets the money, the buyer drives off into the sunset in a cool new car.

  • After the wedding ceremony, the couple happily drove off into the sunset.

  • As the festival ended, families began to drive off into the sunset, creating a picturesque scene.

  • With a sense of fulfillment, they climbed into their car and drove off into the sunset.

Synonyms

to take off
vsto drive off into the sunset
273 3.2

To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else

describes a calm, contented exit rather than a hurried departure
to depart
vsto drive off into the sunset
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

is a peaceful, contented type of leaving rather than a plain departure
to ride off
vsto drive off into the sunset
24 3.9

To leave a place by riding a horse, bike, or motorcycle

focuses on a calm, satisfying ending rather than simply the travel mode
to ride away
vsto drive off into the sunset
11 2.7

To go away while on a horse, bike, or motorcycle

describes a peaceful contented exit often tied to storylike endings
to ride off into the sunset
vsto drive off into the sunset
  • Informal
3 6.5

Leave a situation happily to begin a new life

is the calm, contented leaving typically used at narrative endings

Antonyms

to stay
∞ 1.0

To remain in one place and not leave

to linger
207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

How Peaceful

to drive off into the sunset
  • Informal
1 6.5
leave
  • Formal
148 4.2
to go away
709 1.0
to up and leave
  • Informal
41 6.3
to storm off
  • Informal
11 4.5

Surface Forms

drive off into the sunset infinitive
driving off into the sunset present participle
drives off into the sunset third person singular
drove off into the sunset past
driven off into the sunset past participle

Morphology

drive + off + into + the + sunset

The literal parts ('drive' + 'off' + 'into' + 'sunset') create a clear physical image of leaving by car toward the sunset, so a B1 learner who knows the words could guess that people are leaving. However, the phrase also carries a conventional narrative/romantic connotation of a peaceful or storybook ending that is metaphorical and culturally conventionalized, so the full pragmatic meaning is not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Drive off into the sunset comes from old movie endings where the heroes get in a car and drive toward the bright sunset, a calm picture that shows the end of the story. So, the phrase now means 'to leave a place or situation in a peaceful or happy way'.