driving at
Meaning(s)
1. suggesting or leading towards
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
not sure what you're driving at
Analysis
This is a phrasal verb used to ask someone what they are implying or saying indirectly. ‘What were you driving at with that comment earlier?’ ‘I felt he was driving at something else when he mentioned the artwork earlier.’ It is an expression you are more likely to hear in a formal setting. Similar in meaning to 'what are you getting at?' or 'what are you implying?'.
Social Examples (Advance)
- You know exactly what I'm driving at. You need to do this because I can't!
- I felt like you were driving at something earlier, now that we have some privacy would you like to talk about it?
Professional Examples (Basic)
- I'm not really sure what you're driving at here. Are you suggesting that I was responsible for the downturn in Sales?
- What I'm driving at is I doubt our capacity to meet an order this large without extra staff or overtime payments.