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⇱ DRIVE-IN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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: an establishment (such as a theater or restaurant) so laid out that patrons can be accommodated while remaining in their automobiles
drive-in adjective

Examples of drive-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And Route 66 has plenty to recommend it for an Easter drive through Central and Southern Illinois, including the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac and the Cozy Dog drive-in in Springfield. β€”πŸ‘ Image
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026 Joe Bob Briggs, the alter ego of John Bloom, began exclusively reviewing drive-in flicks in the early 1980s for the Dallas Times Herald. β€”πŸ‘ Image
RenΓ© Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026 And Telluride held a one-film-only drive-in screening β€” the world premiere of Nomadland β€” at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with attendees honking and flashing headlights in approval. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026 And ice cream lovers are very fortunate this place – a vital piece of drive-in restaurant history – is still around. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drive-in

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drive-in was in 1931

Rhymes for drive-in

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Cite this Entry

β€œDrive-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drive-in. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

drive-in

noun
ˈdrī-ˌvin
: a business (as a movie theater or restaurant) set up so that customers can be served or provided for while remaining in their automobiles
drive-in adjective

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