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
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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
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2
as in campaign
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
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3
as in desire
a strong wish for something
a drive to succeed in the television news business
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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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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of drive
Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The narrative twist: the story is driven not by the characters themselves but by eight distinct emotions in their minds — comedic, romantic, bizarre, and rational.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 June 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
Alvarez has been pleased with his pitch recognition, which has helped drive his walk rate and on-base percentage to career bests.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The narrative twist: the story is driven not by the characters themselves but by eight distinct emotions in their minds — comedic, romantic, bizarre, and rational.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 June 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
-
Those who run won’t be schlepping all the political baggage that Newsom has to tote. Such as? Rampant homelessness.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2025
-
Later at an event, Sawaya ran into Foreman, who asked him to reconsider applying, saying the hiring committee would try to keep his name out of the public eye.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
The Red Sox and Mariners motored through Thursday’s rubber match in Seattle.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 June 2025
-
Those motoring to work in a Rolls-Royce aren’t being left out, either.—
Susan Campos,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Video footage from the incident showed Padilla pushed to the ground and handcuffed outside the door while attempting to speak to Noem during the conference.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
In the middle of his testimony, Forbes published a story explaining how Weisselberg had helped Trump push the lie for years.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health treatment, and forcing patients onto less effective medications can lead to setbacks in health, social functioning, and recovery.—
Carali McLean,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
-
The shutdowns have caused significant disruptions to regional air traffic and forced airlines to reroute flights.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Alternative Option: Plug-In Hybrids (PHEVs) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles combine electric-only driving (typically 20–50 miles) with a gasoline engine that activates when the battery is depleted.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
More than 200 water spray features and water playgrounds will also be fully activated across the city by this weekend.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Wales have done well under Wilkinson to move away from a hardened reputation as being Fishlock’s team and become more of a sum of their parts.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
There’s no way to move forward without acknowledging that.—
Cindy Juyoung Ok
June 26,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Drivers who only plan on traveling for short distances in extreme temperatures may not need to be concerned.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
-
Later, it’s revealed that the Front Man took the cash, deposited it into a bank account, and traveled to Los Angeles to give the money to Gi-hun’s daughter, Ga-yeong.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
William Saller emphasizes that the long road, although more challenging, usually leads to something far more meaningful.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
-
All evacuation warnings have been lifted and roads reopened, the Sheriff’s Office said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drive. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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