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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in powered
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
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6
as in moved
to set or keep in motion
this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft
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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
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Recent Examples of driven
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
What is clear is that the raw material capturing one of the most enigmatic, driven and influential athletes of modern times possibly sits on a hard drive somewhere, or maybe in the cloud, waiting — perhaps indefinitely — to be unlocked.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
China’s trade surplus with Africa grew 65% last year to a record $102 billion, according to Chinese customs figures, driven by a 26% surge in exports to the continent to $225 billion.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for driven
Adjective
The tally meant that the King dethroned his sister, the driven Princess Anne, who was considered the hardest-working royal family member for the last several years, per informal counts of The Court Circular.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
What is clear is that the raw material capturing one of the most enigmatic, driven and influential athletes of modern times possibly sits on a hard drive somewhere, or maybe in the cloud, waiting — perhaps indefinitely — to be unlocked.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
Harmful algae blooms continue to be a significant problem in western Lake Erie, largely driven by nutrients from agricultural fertilizers that make their way into the lake via the Maumee River.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
China’s trade surplus with Africa grew 65% last year to a record $102 billion, according to Chinese customs figures, driven by a 26% surge in exports to the continent to $225 billion.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for driven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for driven
Adjective
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Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
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Any new publication of hers is mandatory reading, and not just because transgender Americans are under an obsessive, incessant series of assaults from the current administration and the right more broadly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Indu and Mahipal run a Hindu monastery, or ashram, in India called Hanslok that was founded by Mahipal’s father.—
Bernadette Toh,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Most of the other candidates lacked play-calling experience in the NFL, outside of Harris, Martindale, Lions assistant Jim O’Neil and Packers run game coordinator Demarcus Covington.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Theobald tooled the Zephyrs’ block, pushing the Tigers over the line with a 25-22 set 4 win.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
5 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
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That support came into doubt late last year, when the subway operator sought to tighten borrowing terms, and pushed the developer to the brink of default.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
They can easily be pushed, by these outside factors, into imbalance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With temperatures climbing above freezing and sunny skies melting half the structure, they were forced to start over entirely.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Twenty-two people — two civilians and 20 firefighters — were injured and thousands were forced to evacuate.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Since turning pro in 2023, he's moved quickly to 6-0, including a dominant stoppage of Hironori Mishiro in June 2025.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Late last year, the city officials moved forward with their plan to sell the Bell Mobile and Florence Village Mobile Home Parks, which housed about 300 families.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mother and her other son raced to the bridge and alerted police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
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Mobley missed a long 3-pointer at the other end and Minnesota guard Langston Reynolds raced the other way for a layup that rolled off the rim.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Driven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/driven. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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