1
2
3
as in to push
to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one
drove the plunger into the opening
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to force
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
the corrupt governor was driven out of office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to activate
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to move
to set or keep in motion
this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
raced our motorcycles along the drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in campaign
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in desire
a strong wish for something
a drive to succeed in the television news business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in energy
active strength of body or mind
senior citizens who exercise regularly are more likely to have the drive to keep up with their grandchildren
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ambition
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity
a great opportunity for a sales representative who is full of drive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drive
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
The incident, which occurred in June, is part of a growing trend of scams -- some of them driven by artificial intelligence -- targeting government officials and their staff through impersonation schemes.
—arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drive
Verb
Walt bought the five ton stump while driving through Pike’s Petrified Forest in Colorado two days before their wedding anniversary in 1956.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
The incident, which occurred in June, is part of a growing trend of scams -- some of them driven by artificial intelligence -- targeting government officials and their staff through impersonation schemes.
—arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Noun
Details sent to the company included the health and read / write values of the drive using CrystalDiskInfo, which is a program that can read the SMART data embedded in most hard disks.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023
As part of the drive for efficiency, NHS managers were pressured to keep bed vacancies low.
—David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drive
Verb
-
Black flies can travel for miles and can be found anywhere there are running streams or rivers nearby, even in urban areas.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 July 2025
-
First-round voting in the Primetime Emmys runs from Aug. 18 to 27.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
But momentum flipped in the fifth when North Reading turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play and tacked on an insurance run when Matt Mancinelli motored around from first to score on a bloop single by Torra.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2025
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TikTok clued us into the power of shaving your body—mainly your she-shrubbery—using what is technically a beard trimmer, because it's designed explicitly to motor through coarse hair.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Strong northerly winds pushed the fire further south, with fire embers spreading through the wilderness, aggravated by dry, hot weather with low humidity.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
-
The change, which was approved by commissioners and signed into law by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, pushes the upcoming November 2025 general election to November 2026.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
These high taxes explain why Tesla was forced to set its prices so high in India, despite the country’s preference for EVs at much lower price ranges.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
-
These design modifications force drivers to drive slower and pay more attention to their environments, increasing the balance between vehicles and pedestrians.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
The couple successfully activate the code and crawl through a tunnel to freedom, only to discover that the entire city has been sealed inside the same black brick structures.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
11 July 2025
-
The Network then will activate its many participants to collaborate and engage together to advance solutions and designs of new processes, or mechanisms, or even technologies that are needed to not only benefit each individual employer organization but also the overall talent ecosystem.—
Ryan Stowers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Through the soil created by centuries of decomposing plant life, through rocks ground down by shifting rivers and slowly moving mountains.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
8 July 2025
-
That he was moved by Gi-hun and now wants to give her closure and the money her father fairly won?—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
-
Fine dining and traveling aboard a boat may seem like an unlikely pairing.—
Caitlin Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Strengthening infrastructure – Communities need to prioritize schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, dams, water supply, sewer, sanitation, power, cellular, internet service, etc.—
Louis Gritzo,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Torrential rains caused travel delays throughout the city, flooding subways and roads and delaying flights at JFK, Laguardia and Newark airports.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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