propel

verb

pro·​pel prə-ˈpel 

propelled; propelling

transitive verb

: to drive forward or onward by or as if by means of a force that imparts motion

Synonyms of propel

• push
• shove
• drive
• thrust

Examples of propel in a Sentence

He grabbed him and propelled him through the door.

The train is propelled by steam.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thematic ambition, a sense of the something to be expressed beyond a central romance, rivalry, or farce, propels modern musical hits too, as in Hairspray, or Wicked, or (no duh) Hamilton. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026

Project Prometheus will propel Bezos into the ranks of the AI titans heading firms with multi-billion-dollar valuations, such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Palantir. —Will Barker, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026

In March 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater, located on the tech giant’s sprawling spaceship-like campus in Cupertino, California, and propelled Apple firmly into the entertainment business. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026

In Singapore, government policy is propelling EV adoption. —Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English propellen "to drive away, expel," borrowed from Latin prōpellere "to push or thrust forward, compel to go onward," from prō- "before, in front" + pellere "to beat against, push, strike, rouse, expel" — more at pro- entry 2, pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1558, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for propel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

propel

verb

pro·​pel prə-ˈpel 

propelled; propelling

: to push or drive usually forward or onward

a bicycle is propelled by pedals

propelled by the crowd