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drive-thru

British

noun

1. a takeaway restaurant, bank, etc designed so that customers can use it without leaving their cars
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a drive-thru restaurant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A $1 increase in gas prices can lead to around six fewer drive-thru customers a day, a recent analysis found.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Starbucks plans to open roughly 400 net new U.S. stores annually, relying more heavily on lower-cost designs and smaller formats that support drive-thru, mobile order, and pickup.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

“They should have a great seat for any occasion, and they should provide customers access to a high-quality Mobile Order and Pay experience and a drive-thru where possible.”

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

“Dutch Bros Coffee is a fun-loving, mind-blowing drive-thru coffee company,” the company’s release said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

The car behind me at the drive-thru backfires, and I rush inside.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023