drive off — force away
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to make someone or something leave a place, often by using threats or force.
Say it like a native
Textbook The dog succeeded in repelling the intruders.
Native The dog drove the intruders off.
'Drive off' is the natural verb for chasing something away; 'repelled the intruders' is military/formal.
Pattern: drive off (someone/something)
In use
- The loud noise drove off the stray dogs from the yard.daily life
- Sometimes, farmers have to drive off wild animals to protect their crops.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The smoke drove off the bees away.
✓ The smoke drove the bees off. / drove off the bees.
Don't double up with 'away' — 'drive off' already means force away.
Common collocations
drive + intruder + off— the attackers, predators, customers, them off
Don't confuse it
'Drive off' is stronger than 'scare away' and suggests more action to make someone leave.
Related
- drive off (leave by car) — Another meaning of 'drive off' is 'leave by car'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.