1
2
3
as in pushes
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 compels
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 activates
to cause to function
machinery driven by waterpower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in moves
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 speeds
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 highways
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
raced our motorcycles along the drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in campaigns
a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal
a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drives
Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The message drives a grieving John to Carolyn’s East Village apartment, where the pair share their first kiss — signaling the official beginning of their romance at the end of that third episode.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
What drives her is spending quality time with her 13-year-old son.
—Leying Tang, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
The Milwaukee School of Engineering recruit is the engine that drives the Saints.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Market consolidation through hospital mergers ultimately drives up healthcare costs for consumers — including small businesses.
—Bianca Blomquist, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The Olympic context — with its extreme social-evaluative threat — is precisely the kind of situation that drives cortisol through the roof.
—Amy Cuddy, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Not everyone drives, and not everyone stays in one place for a long period of time.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
—Bret Scher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Food Not Bomb’s McHenry believes hyper-local neighborhood food drives build camaraderie and understanding among neighbors.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Back in November, the organization’s two Arizona chapters hastily organized food and formula drives to combat heightened food insecurity caused by SNAP Benefit cuts during the government shutdown.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Jackson also participated in COVID-19 vaccination drives to battle hesitancy in Black communities.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
The Rockets built a 65-55 lead before Udoiwod started his roll, all on drives to the basket.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Homeless assistance program, Donation drives, Job assistance programs Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding?
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Some nifty drives from Hill has helped keep the Aggies' offense churning despite a poor shooting afternoon so far.
—American Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
The shop foreman has taken multiple test drives and acknowledged the whistling.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Singleton said that preparation is rooted in a broader understanding of what actually drives trafficking around major sporting events.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The message drives a grieving John to Carolyn’s East Village apartment, where the pair share their first kiss — signaling the official beginning of their romance at the end of that third episode.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
What drives her is spending quality time with her 13-year-old son.
—Leying Tang, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
The Milwaukee School of Engineering recruit is the engine that drives the Saints.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Market consolidation through hospital mergers ultimately drives up healthcare costs for consumers — including small businesses.
—Bianca Blomquist, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The Olympic context — with its extreme social-evaluative threat — is precisely the kind of situation that drives cortisol through the roof.
—Amy Cuddy, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Not everyone drives, and not everyone stays in one place for a long period of time.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
—Bret Scher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Interstate 80 remained closed from Nevada into California in the westbound direction, and chains were required on the freeway for all but four-wheel drives from just outside Placer County into Nevada, according to Caltrans.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Food Not Bomb’s McHenry believes hyper-local neighborhood food drives build camaraderie and understanding among neighbors.
—Annemarie Dooling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Back in November, the organization’s two Arizona chapters hastily organized food and formula drives to combat heightened food insecurity caused by SNAP Benefit cuts during the government shutdown.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Jackson also participated in COVID-19 vaccination drives to battle hesitancy in Black communities.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
The Rockets built a 65-55 lead before Udoiwod started his roll, all on drives to the basket.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Homeless assistance program, Donation drives, Job assistance programs Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding?
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Some nifty drives from Hill has helped keep the Aggies' offense churning despite a poor shooting afternoon so far.
—American Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
The shop foreman has taken multiple test drives and acknowledged the whistling.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives
Verb
-
Next, with the lights off, Dana runs a black light over Ilana’s body.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The Downtown Dot, a free shuttle service operated by the local transit authority, runs seven days a week and stops near hotels, restaurants and attractions in the city’s core.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An unexpected opportunity or disruption pushes you into new territory.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The blockbuster investment, which comes as India pushes to gain a stronger foothold in the global AI race, is expected to create a $250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India over the next decade, Adani said.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sheer richness of the fashion, meanwhile, compels viewers to step up closely to admire the artistry of the stitches and richness of the embroideries, and that’s precisely the point, because ultimately this is a celebration of the art of Italian handcraft.—
Laurie Brookins,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The bill compels public universities and local governments, including schools, to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Curiosity widens as the sparkling Sun activates your 9th House of Travel and Exploration, inviting you to stretch your beliefs and seek perspective beyond familiar comfort zones.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The ad, which centers on a fictional family scouring their community for their missing dog, demonstrates how the Search Party feature activates neighboring Ring home cameras to be used in the search.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The victory also moves the Horned Frogs closer to a regular season Big 12 title as TCU sits a full game ahead of West Virginia (22-6, 12-4) and Baylor (23-6, 12-4) in the league standings with just two games remaining.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe when the sun moves, the players will accept a cap.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Paradise speeds through Annie and Gayle’s first 45 days in the TV room.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
-
After the Slasher speeds off, Jane begins a multistate hunt to bring him to justice while her new foe is on his own path to a destructive endgame.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mexico's president said cartel roadblocks had been cleared from Mexico's highways and that flights would resume in a few days.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Outreach efforts are planned at airports, billboard campaigns are in the works, and the team is reaching out to foreign consulates to help spread the word internationally.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
As there had never been a campaign for Tena Men on TV before, Wignarajah didn’t have award-winning campaigns to live up to when his team was hired in 2015.—
Ralph Jones,
HubSpot,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drives. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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