as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
a man with a driven need to be loved or liked by everyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in pushed
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 forced
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 powered
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in moved
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 raced
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of driven
Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
But as a profoundly driven person all his life, such affirmations aren’t cause for pause but merely more propellant.
—Vahe Gregorian
july 25, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Mark Dent, HubSpot, 7 Nov. 2025
In a press release Thursday, the state celebrated a major 3% drop in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 ahead of COP30, driven largely by the growth of clean transportation.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for driven
Adjective
Just like Lana, there was someone clever, driven, working beneath the veneer of the beautiful temptress.
—Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
But as a profoundly driven person all his life, such affirmations aren’t cause for pause but merely more propellant.
—Vahe Gregorian
july 25, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
Verb
So, if the stock market is warped in a way that has driven stocks consistently upward, who cares?
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 7 Nov. 2025
In a press release Thursday, the state celebrated a major 3% drop in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 ahead of COP30, driven largely by the growth of clean transportation.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for driven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for driven
Adjective
-
Weaver plays Grandma Helen, the matriarch of the family and mother of Gavin and Abbi’s deceased father, who was an obsessive hoarder.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
-
And interestingly, there’s no resentment between the obsessive and the expressive explorers, Brown said.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Under the public trees, children ran exultantly between cars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The thumping Republicans took in this week's elections reflected longer-running anger among constituencies that already leaned Democratic, but the GOP needs to worry that the government shutdown will cause that frustration to spread.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When the season ended, Payton and general manager George Paton could have re-tooled the personnel on defense or let a couple of key contributors go.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Hayes’ arrangements are machine-tooled to immersive perfection.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and subsequent need for military support from Germany pushed Italy into a closer alliance with Hitler that, in turn, led to the imposition of anti-Jewish legislation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Offered only via the David’s Bridal site, the archival White by Vera Wang archival collection is being pushed out to shoppers via the retailer’s social media, site and email newsletters among other avenues.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As a result, the government is now forced to sell even more oil on the black market at a discount to evade US government sanctions, one of the economists in Caracas told CNN.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
This was not the only notable injury on offense for the Packers in Week 9, as rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden was also forced to exit the game with a shoulder injury.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Inside, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 is powered by the in-house Caliber 32111, offering a robust 120-hour power reserve—an engineering feat that mirrors the endurance and performance demanded on the track.—
Carol Besler,
Robb Report,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They are felt as they are composed, painfully, joyously, cellularly—and they are designed for other biological beings to experience, to connect with, to be animated, provoked and moved by.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Led by quarterback Tony Pike, the Bearcats moved quickly down the field, setting up a first down at Pitt’s 29-yard line with 33 seconds left.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Schyler Dethorne raced 68-yards for a TD and Belton tallied scoring runs of six and 52-yards, as Alvarado held a 28-3 lead after the opening quarter.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Much of CoreWeave’s utility has come from offering readily available compute as those companies raced to scale up their own operations.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Driven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/driven. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share