1
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
playfully he propelled his rambunctious friend into the swimming pool to cool off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
the aircraft is propelled by a pair of turboprop engines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of propel
The pic reps a reteam between Kolstad, producer Marc Provissiero and Bob Odenkirk, who previously worked on the Nobody franchise; those movies propelled the two-time Emmy-winning Better Call Saul star to action leading man status.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
In the South Coast Conference, Gary Carrier (one goal), Rowan Jensen (one goal), and Alex Goldsmith (one assist) propelled the offense while PJ George had 11 saves including a game saving penalty stop as Apponequet defeated Seekonk 2-1.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
And there are other ideas to do with ion drives and collecting interstellar gas and using that to propel yourself along—but all that would involve very lengthy trips.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Murray, one of Denver’s most exciting young building blocks, and Wallace, a former Georgetown guard whose clutch 3-point shooting propelled the Hoyas to a Final Four in 2007.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
In the South Coast Conference, Gary Carrier (one goal), Rowan Jensen (one goal), and Alex Goldsmith (one assist) propelled the offense while PJ George had 11 saves including a game saving penalty stop as Apponequet defeated Seekonk 2-1.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
And there are other ideas to do with ion drives and collecting interstellar gas and using that to propel yourself along—but all that would involve very lengthy trips.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Murray, one of Denver’s most exciting young building blocks, and Wallace, a former Georgetown guard whose clutch 3-point shooting propelled the Hoyas to a Final Four in 2007.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propel
Verb
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Altria The parent company of tobacco brand Marlboro and one of the country’s largest tobacco firms has pushed for less FDA oversight of e-cigarettes.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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As Lloyd Kelly passes to Andrea Cambiaso, Valverde pushes up from right-back while Jude Bellingham and Tchouameni track Teun Koopmeiners and Khephren Thuram.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The buttery-soft fabric is lightweight and stretchy enough to move with you while still retaining its shape over time.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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On top of that responsibility and stress, he was frustrated with the Blazers’ losing and his role moving forward.—
Jason Quick,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jones attempted to help the quarterback up to his feet before Rodgers quickly shoved him aside.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Barely caring that the fake-tin ceiling was peeling off in one corner and had to be shoved back up once or twice a week with a broomstick.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The politically motivated preemption of the late-night program following host Jimmy Kimmel's brief remarks regarding the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk drove a massive wave of Disney+ subscription cancellations, a new report from the research firm Antenna shows, per The New York Times.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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Fortune reports on air traffic controllers who are driving for Uber and DoorDash to make ends meet.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In other words, Newsom, who is entering his final year as governor, has now thrust this issue onto anyone who succeeds him from now on as a permanent part of the state bureaucracy.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
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Thomas warns, the square with Pluto is particularly challenging, representing unexpected hurdles, conflicts, and hardship thrust at us from left field.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The moon activating Neptune puts you in daydream mode.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
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The fat overload in astrocytes and microglia activates inflammatory pathways.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Daniel’s commercial failure as a novelist impelled him to move to Los Angeles to try writing for the movies.—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
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While the recent protests were sparked by the social media ban, protesters said that they had been impelled by years of government corruption and failure to provide young people with economic opportunities.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propel. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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