DRIVES Synonyms: 344 Similar and Opposite Words

drives 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drive

as in runs

to urge, push, or force onward cowboys drove the herd of cattle from San Antonio to San Francisco

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Relevance

as in motors

to travel by a motorized vehicle I'm going to drive across the country—want to come?

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as in pushes

to apply force to (someone or something) so that it moves in front of one drove the plunger into the opening

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as in compels

to cause (a person) to give in to pressure the corrupt governor was driven out of office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in activates

to cause to function machinery driven by waterpower

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as in moves

to set or keep in motion this motor drives the gears, which then turn the shaft

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as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly the runner drove past the finish line and then came to a dead stop

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drives

2 of 2

noun

plural of drive

as in highways

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel raced our motorcycles along the drive

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as in campaigns

a series of activities undertaken to achieve a goal a fund-raising drive for the school's marching band

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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 drives

Verb

The scenario might be to treat 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 59th, 125th, and maybe the streets leading to the transverse drives across the park this way, giving them over to buses and bikes with some street-dining structures and greenery to boot. —

Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 4 June 2026 That rapid glucose spike drives insulin up and can contribute to metabolic stress over time. —

Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, CNBC, 4 June 2026 He’s used to being the guy who drives a gap shot for an RBI double. —

Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026 The psychology that drives search engine optimization still exists, but the mechanism is different. —

Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 4 June 2026 Females will lay eggs but these won’t hatch, which experts say drives down the population over time. —

Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Hannah drives faster and faster. —

Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026 Coverage of Black women’s deaths is less frequent, less sustained and less likely to generate the kind of public outrage that drives policy change. —

Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 Add that tent and the $5,100 six-seat Crew Cab upgrade, and the Paragon drives and sleeps a total of six people. —

New Atlas, 4 June 2026

Noun

Her organization organizes food and diaper drives in the six states where the credit union operates. —

Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 Castle has particularly been fantastic, with 18 points while making 7 of his 8 shots, and he's been relentless at getting into the paint using patient drives. —

Andrew Greif, NBC news, 9 June 2026 El Dorado, Placer, Yolo and Yuba counties do not have dedicated American Red Cross donation centers but offer mobile blood drives throughout their communities. —

Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026 Chronically elevated insulin drives fat storage. —

Joshua Moen, STAT, 8 June 2026 In rural areas such as the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, people deal with a shortage of local physicians, a lack of public transit and long drives to specialized clinics. —

Eric Wargotz, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2026 While visiting Shoshone, take advantage of scenic drives to some of the surrounding sites. —

Meghan Palmer, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026 Ranging from seemingly endless desert plains to rugged mountain ranges, the region is filled with scenic drives, plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure, and best of all, wide-open spaces that let the imagination roam free. —

Gabi De La Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2026 Pitch for donations Donors at any of Stanford Blood Center’s mobile drives or centers this month, including the South Bay Donor Center in Campbell, will get two free tickets to a San Francisco Giants game. —

Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 7 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drives

Verb

The 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, will include three-minute hydration breaks for players in each half of every game.

— Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 4 June 2026
The 2026 French Open runs from May 17 through June 7 at the Stade Roland-Garros complex in Paris, with semifinals and finals scheduled to be played at the iconic Philippe-Chatrier court.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 4 June 2026