drive off — leave by car
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to leave a place by driving a car or other vehicle away.
Say it like a native
Textbook He entered his vehicle and departed at speed.
Native He got in and drove off.
'Drove off' is the natural way to describe a car leaving; the formal version reads like a witness statement.
Pattern: drive off (from somewhere)
In use
- After saying goodbye, she got in her car and drove off.daily life
- In my hometown, people often drive off early in the morning to avoid traffic.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She drove off with her car quickly.
✓ She drove off quickly.
'Drive off' already implies a vehicle — 'with her car' is redundant.
Common collocations
drive off + manner— quickly, without a word, at speed, and left
Don't confuse it
'Drive away' can mean to move a car from one spot, but 'drive off' usually means to leave the area completely.
Related
- drive off (force away) — Another meaning of 'drive off' is 'force away'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.