What Does “Drive sth out” Mean?
“Drive sth out” means to force something to leave or disappear, usually by effort or pressure.
Introduction
The phrase “drive sth out” is a common phrasal verb in English used to describe the action of removing or forcing something to go away. The “sth” stands for “something,” meaning the object being removed. This could be anything from an idea, a feeling, a pest, or even a problem. Understanding the drive sth out meaning helps learners use it correctly in different situations. It’s often used in both literal and figurative contexts, such as driving out fear or pests from a home. Knowing how to use this phrase correctly will improve your fluency and help you express ideas more clearly.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: drive something out
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To force something to leave or disappear
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Drive sth out” is a separable phrasal verb. This means the object (something) can be placed between “drive” and “out” or after the entire phrase.
- drive something out
- drive out something
Example:
- They drove the pests out of the house.
- They drove out the pests.
How to Use “Drive sth out”?
Use “drive sth out” when you want to talk about removing or eliminating something by force or effort. It can refer to physical things like animals or bugs, or abstract things like fear, bad habits, or diseases. It often implies a deliberate and strong action.
Examples
Here are some examples to show how to use “drive sth out in a sentence” naturally:
- The government is trying to drive corruption out of the system.
- We need to drive the rats out of the building before winter.
- She worked hard to drive the negative thoughts out of her mind.
- Farmers use pesticides to drive pests out of their crops.
- The new policies aim to drive out unfair business practices.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the word order or use incorrect prepositions with “drive sth out.” Here are some common mistakes:
- Incorrect: Drive out the fear from your heart.
- Correct: Drive the fear out of your heart.
- Incorrect: Drive away out the rats.
- Correct: Drive the rats out.
Remember, “drive out” must be followed closely by the object or placed after the object, but not split in unusual ways.
Differences / Synonyms
“Drive sth out” is similar to phrases like “get rid of,” “push out,” or “force out,” but it often suggests stronger, more active effort.
- Drive out – implies force or effort to remove something completely.
- Get rid of – more general, can be less forceful.
- Push out – often physical pushing, less abstract.
For example, you can “get rid of bad habits,” but you usually “drive out” pests or negative feelings with effort.
Common Collocations
Here are some common nouns that go with “drive out” and their meanings:
- Fear – to eliminate feelings of fear
- Pests – to remove insects or animals causing problems
- Corruption – to remove dishonest behavior from organizations
- Negative thoughts – to remove bad mental patterns
- Enemies – to force opponents to leave
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of drive sth out:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “drive sth out”:
Anna: The old house had so many bugs.
Ben: Yeah, we had to use strong chemicals to drive them out.
Anna: Did it work?
Ben: Yes, now it’s pest-free and much cleaner.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct form of “drive sth out”:
- The new law aims to ______ corruption from the company.
- Farmers use special sprays to ______ pests from their fields.
- She tried to ______ all the bad memories from her mind.
FAQs
- Q: Is “drive sth out” separable?
A: Yes, you can place the object between “drive” and “out” or after the phrase.
- Q: Can “drive out” be used with people?
A: Yes, it can mean forcing someone to leave a place.
- Q: What is the difference between “drive out” and “get rid of”?
“Drive out” suggests effort or force, while “get rid of” is more general.
- Q: Can I say “drive out fear”?
It’s better to say “drive the fear out” or “drive fear out of.”
- Q: Is “drive sth out” formal or informal?
It is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
