at the drive-thru vs in the drive-thru

Both "at the drive-thru" and "in the drive-thru" are commonly used phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "At the drive-thru" is used to indicate the location where you are ordering or picking up food, while "in the drive-thru" is used to describe being physically inside the drive-thru lane.

Last updated: April 07, 2024 • 428 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"at the drive-thru"

This phrase is used to indicate the location where you are ordering or picking up food, typically from a fast-food restaurant.

Examples:

I'll meet you at the drive-thru window.
She works at the drive-thru on weekends.
We ordered breakfast at the drive-thru this morning.
He always pays with exact change at the drive-thru.
Let's grab some coffee at the drive-thru.

Show examples from the web [+]

I stopped listening to him back at the drive-thru when he leaned out the window and ordered a "fur burger."
I mean, you got people coming at you from the front... coming at you from the back, from the sides... people at the condiment exchange... people at the drive-thru, kids on bikes... and they're all depending on who?
Sure, I saw her at the drive-thru a couple of days ago.
I had to punch out the old ones at the Arby's drive-thru.
See, instead of taking my advice and going to college, Grace decided to get married and knocked up by John John Taylor, the assistant to the assistant at a drive-thru liquor store.
I wasn't working the drive-thru at the burger joint with nothing better to do.
Even the drive-thru chapels are tax-exempt.
Car in the drive-thru is registered to Victor Sterling.
Same rifle showed up in the drive-thru video.
No, Porter's working the drive-thru.
And my dad pulled into the drive-thru, and we started cheering.
Here, a mascot is tending the drive-thru and wearing a McDonalds hat.
When a guy with tattoos comes up to the drive-thru... give him his burger -not your phonenumber.
I never leave the drive-thru without making sure my fries are in the bag first.
Pretty soon I'd be stuck working the drive-thru at Gettysburger just to pay ransoms.
She was more the drive-thru chapel type.
Knowing her, she probably seduced the drive-thru guy at Del Taco and is just saying it's yours.
We only take as many ketchup packets as the drive-thru gives us.
She worked the drive-thru window at McDonald's.
He hit up the drive-thru on the way home.

Alternatives:

at the drive-through

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"in the drive-thru"

This phrase is used to describe being physically inside the drive-thru lane, typically in a vehicle waiting to place an order or pick up food.

Examples:

We're stuck in the drive-thru line.
She saw her friend in the drive-thru ahead of her.
He always listens to music while waiting in the drive-thru.
I hate being in the drive-thru during lunch rush.
Let's chat while we're in the drive-thru.

Show examples from the web [+]

in the drive-thru
Car in the drive-thru is registered to Victor Sterling.
Same rifle showed up in the drive-thru video.
I wasn't working the drive-thru at the burger joint with nothing better to do.
Even the drive-thru chapels are tax-exempt.
No, Porter's working the drive-thru.
And my dad pulled into the drive-thru, and we started cheering.
Here, a mascot is tending the drive-thru and wearing a McDonalds hat.
When a guy with tattoos comes up to the drive-thru... give him his burger -not your phonenumber.
I never leave the drive-thru without making sure my fries are in the bag first.
Pretty soon I'd be stuck working the drive-thru at Gettysburger just to pay ransoms.
She was more the drive-thru chapel type.
Knowing her, she probably seduced the drive-thru guy at Del Taco and is just saying it's yours.
We only take as many ketchup packets as the drive-thru gives us.
She worked the drive-thru window at McDonald's.
He hit up the drive-thru on the way home.
Sure, I saw her at the drive-thru a couple of days ago.
She was more the drive-thru chapel type.
When they took off from the drive-thru, they headed east into oncoming traffic and got away by the skin of their teeth.
Hidden in Plain View played numerous concert tours such as the Warped Tour and the Drive-Thru Records Invasion Tours in the United States, Europe and Japan.
Clegg stole Seligson's brain sometime after 10:00 p.m., when he hit the mortuary, and sometime before 3:00 a.m., when he hit the drive-thru.

Alternatives:

in the drive-through

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at the drive-thru vs in the drive-thru

"at the drive-thru"

"in the drive-thru"

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